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Today was a big day.
For your anniversary this year, the three of you wanted to do something different. Usually, celebrating the occasion came in the form of three super fun dates. One with Papyrus, one with Sans, and one with all three of you. You would eat good food, watch a movie maybe, cuddle on the couch, and just end up talking through the night about the past year and all of its wonders.
But when Papyrus saw that commercial on TV, the one that advertised that the much needed renovations for the nearest theme park were finally finished, he flipped.
All three of you pooled your savings together, and…
Got on the road to Disneyland!
Maybe it was a little weird that three grown adults were so excited about this, but you didn’t really care at this point. You’d always wanted to go with the brothers, ever since they came to the surface, and show them all sorts of fun and neat things they could do. Truthfully, Sans wasn’t a big fan of animated movies or anything of the sort, but Papyrus was. He had all sorts of merchandise and refused to watch anything but princess movies on VHS for an entire week once you showed him your entire collection at your place. He got hooked on everything Disney. You weren’t really complaining, as your inner child was ecstatic to have someone to go with.
The drive really wasn’t so bad. Papyrus was the responsible one with a bunch of snacks and drinks, Sans made sure that the address was in his phone so he didn’t have to do any actual navigating, and you were in charge of making sure the music “FIT THE MOOD”, as your boyfriend told you.
From the distance you could see the giant billboards advertising for the park. You were getting closer now, and the exit from the highway was surprisingly light. It was good to go here on a weekday where there would be less traffic.
“WHY IS IT THAT WE HAVE TO PAY FOR PARKING? CAN’T WE JUST GO SOMEWHERE ELSE?”
Sans flipped the local map around and shrugged. He’d been scrutinizing all of the parking lots to see which one would work best, but it looked like he’d given up. “sure, if ya wanna walk another half a mile just to get to the front gates.”
“I WOULDN’T MIND, REALLY.”
“yeah, but our cute human would.”
You grinned. “Sorry, Paps. I know we’re gonna be walking around a lot inside, so I’d rather just make it so that we get as close as possible to the entrance.”
“VERY WELL. I WON’T ARGUE WITH THAT. YOU ARE MUCH MORE DELICATE THAN OUR STRONG BONES. LET’S SEE WHAT I CAN DO!”
With as much flair as he could muster, Papyrus found somewhere that worked. Close enough where you could rush inside and find a bathroom, at least.
The giant archway was welcoming. It was kind of like home even though you’d never even been here before. With the glittering letters, the smell of food wafting from inside, the joyous laughter and the thrilled screams from people on the rides, you were ready to jump in and explore every inch of this place.
Papyrus vibrated with excitement, his bones rattling. “LOOKIE! ALL THE DIFFERENT CHARACTERS! I HAD NO IDEA THAT THEY RESIDED HERE IN OUR PARK, HOW WONDERFUL!”
You weren’t sure if you should correct him. It was fun to imagine both scenarios: if he truly believed that they weren’t people in mascot costumes, that would’ve been completely adorable and fun. If he did know and he was just playing along, awesome too! You were happy to have him so engaged with all of the different people walking around.
“SHALL WE TAKE A PICTURE TO COMMEMORATE OUR FIRST VISIT?”
“just first, huh?”
“OF COURSE. WE ARE COMING HERE EVERY SIX MONTHS FOR THE REST OF OUR LIVES AND NOTHING WILL CHANGE THAT.”
You wanted to laugh, but you were positive he was serious.
The three of you posed for a picture. Sans got a selfie stick, since he was way too lazy to take them any other way, and made sure everyone was in the frame. You made him retake it about five times before you were satisfied with the result, nudging him and trying to get it so that the angle of the picture didn’t capture your double chin.
“c’mon babe, that one was fine.”
“Ugh, no! I know my angles, Sans. Give me the stick.”
“no way, you can’t handle my stick in public. there are kids here.” Grin.
“Shut up! Oh my god!”
To your immense surprise, Papyrus started laughing at the innuendo.
“LET’S GO!”
For a weekday, it was still packed. The three of you were careful not to lose each other in the crowds. Papyrus had an entire itinerary of things to do, but there was a “mysterious” wind (that you were almost positive was caused by Sans…somehow) that caused the list to fly off into the distance. He didn’t have any other backups, either, so you were going by the seat of your pants. Which you didn’t mind, but Papyrus was a bit distraught that his perfectly crafted schedule was floating off somewhere.
“WE SHOULD GET SOMETHING TO EAT.”
“yeah, let’s check out all the good stuff.”
“WE CAN SNACK OR WE CAN DINE IN. WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO DO?”
“Let’s eat light, I don’t wanna be too full and then not be able to walk around.”
It wasn’t hard to find a bunch of places to grab something. While you knew it would be completely overpriced, you’d saved up in preparation for this trip. So it was okay to splurge – just for today. Your pockets would thank you for that.
All three of you picked something that hit the spot and shared it amongst the three of you. Stuff that Papyrus wouldn’t have approved as a meal under normal circumstances, but it was a special occasion, after all! You picked from their plates as much as you could, neither of them minding much. They were used to your appetite being much bigger than theirs.
“OH, OH!!! LET’S GO ON THE LITTLE BOAT CRUISE, FIRST! IT WILL HELP YOUR STOMACH SETTLE.”
On the way, you and the brothers marveled at the sights. Everything was so fun and…whimsical. The atmosphere was supposed to be cheery and bright, you knew that, but you hadn’t expected it to feel so genuine and…contagious. You loved this type of stuff and the beaming faces of all the kids around was definitely cute as hell.
The lights were bright and colorful. Voices cheery, and although mixed with the rare bout of a tantrum in the distance, nothing felt threatening in the slightest. Giant lettering that was easy on the eyes, paths paved with glitter and enthusiastic mascots, excited chittering from the loudspeakers and the upbeat music that followed.
The line was kind of long, but luckily Sans was the one who suggested that you guys get a more expensive park pass so you wouldn’t have to wait. Otherwise, you would’ve just been on your feet for half an hour stuck between a shrill baby and someone who looked like they were about to be sick.
You liked the way that your feet sounded on the planks leading up to the boat. It clunked, the hollow noise causing a ripple of excitement within you. Papyrus got on first and stretched out a hand so he could guide you on safely, earning a few noises of approval and ‘aww’s from the people still at the dock. He didn’t seem to mind, not even noticing how gentlemanly he came off, not when he was more concerned about you not losing your balance.
All three of you settled in the back. Papyrus hung near the edge of the boat to gaze directly at the water. The older of the brothers was still exhausted from staying up all night – he found a meme generator and kept messing with it until like four in the morning. So you let him snooze on your shoulder while you turned your attention to the tour.
The scenery was incredible. Soothing. There were rushing waterfalls, brightly colored flowers, animatronics of all kinds of animals, and the gentle mist that rained through the open boat was enough to perk you up after a long travel time. Between the flourishing trees and the animal noises as you shifted from terrain to terrain, you were enamored and couldn’t tear your eyes away.
Neither could Papyrus. He bought a disposable camera from one of the gift shops near the entrance and clicked away.
“I CANNOT BELIEVE WE ARE STILL IN THE PARK! IT’S SO STRANGE, I FEEL LIKE WE REALLY ARE IN THE JUNGLE!” Click.
“hey bro, take a pic of me and the sights.”
“WILL DO.”
Sans wrapped his arm around your shoulders and grinned. You spluttered out in protest when you found Papyrus aiming the lens right…at you.
“SAY CHEESE!”
“hotdogs.”
“Noooo!”
Captured. You sighed and slumped into the seat, flustered beyond all belief. How they continued to do this to you this far into the relationship was something else. You knew that they found you attractive, but it was still kind of jarring for them to compliment you so much.
By the end of the lazy ride, you were full of much more energy to walk and have fun. The three of you headed straight for the trashcans to throw away the last remnants of your food.
“Paps!”
“WHAT IS IT? HAVE YOU DECIDED WHERE WE SHOULD GO NEXT?”
You nodded and grabbed his hand, Sans following closely behind.
It took a long line to get inside the kiosk, but when you did, you grabbed what you’d been looking for. A pair of mouse ears for both of the brothers and yourself. They even came with stickers that you could slap on the back with your names written on them.
“Sans, don’t put anything weird on yours.”
He laughed. “what, ya don’t trust me?”
“About as far as I can throw you.”
“REALLY? THAT IS QUITE A LOT! SKELETONS ARE NATURALLY VERY LIGHT, AND MY BROTHER MAY LOOK HEAVY, BUT HE’S INCREDIBLY AERODYNAMIC. YOU SHOULD SEE HIM SOAR WHEN UNDYNE GETS ROWDY.”
Oh, you would pay to see that. “I stand corrected.”
Sans made you bend down to put the hat on your head. You turned around and asked Papyrus to read the label, not fully convinced that he kept his promise.
“What does it say?”
“HMM….” Papyrus squinted. “I DON’T SEE ANYTHING STRANGE. IS MINE OKAY?”
You gave him the official kiss of approval, pecking him on his nasal bone after making him bend down. “Yup! Good to go.”
“AMAZING! NOW WE ARE ALL MATCHING. WE SHOULD COME BACK FOR TRINKETS AND SOUVENIRS BEFORE WE LEAVE.”
“Good idea! Tori loves this type of junk.”
With all of you decked out in your mouse ears, you strolled out and set your sights on the biggest and best attraction you could think of:
Splash Mountain.
“hell yeah.”
“Hell yeah!”
“HECK YES.”
You practically sprinted to the line. This was it. Something not too dangerous or nausea-inducing. A staple within every park that even came with a memento to keep the experience fresh in your mind forever. You knew that it was probably silly to go so early, that you would be slightly damp for the rest of the day, but you didn’t care. It was bright, warm and sunny. You were looking forward to the invigorating rush of water along your body and the thrill of the drop.
“THIS IS SO EXCITING!” Papyrus bounced up and down on the balls of his feet. “ARE YOU READY?”
You crawled into the seat. Papyrus and Sans somehow BOTH managed to squish in the ride with you. It took some serious persuasion with the ride operator (luckily Sans was…somehow ridiculously charismatic with a few water-themed puns and small talk) and an extra-large seat in the back, but you somehow made it work.
The ride kicked off and you grinned to yourself, gripping Sans’ hand tightly. Papyrus was so busy taking pictures of the path to the caves and the ascent that came with it. The log-shaped boat rocked against the rushing water blow, excited whispers and giggles from the couples in front of you.
The boat swayed and glided along the walls with the current. Despite it being pretty tame, you had a lot of fun. Papyrus stuck his hand out and dragged it along the water, shuddering at how cold the temperature was.
“hey bro, water you feelin’ right now?”
“I’M NOT FALLING FOR THIS. CURRENTLY, I AM ENJOYING THIS WONDERFUL RIDE WITH OUR SUPER CUTE GIRLFRIEND.”
Sans wheezed with laughter. “heh heh heh. currently. good one.”
“NO!!!”
You reached the end of the cave, having survived the nearly haunting songs from the animatronics inside. It could’ve been a nice place to mess around and mack on the brothers, but the thought of having a hot and heavy makeout sessions on a kid’s ride was a little weird. You would just make up for it later, but for now, the literal light at the end of the tunnel was the only thing you wanted.
You felt the front of the ride tip and grinned. So exciting! Gravity caught up with you and your stomach lurched while you reached the top of the hill, the push from the water and the weight of the boat sending you flying downwards as an excited scream bubbled in your throat.
It was exhilarating.
Flying down the sharp incline. Glued to the seat despite being strapped in, wind whipping through your hair, causing the mist from the water to spritz on your face. Your stomach did flips and your chest twisted from being sent over the edge – literally!
It dragged on forever, but towards the beginning, between all the sounds and sensations, you felt something warm on either cheek. You were so concentrated on drinking in the moment that you didn’t bother registering what it was, instead gasping for air while the grin on your face threatened to take over.
You reached the bottom with a giant spray of water dousing your head and shoulders, droplets sticking to your cheeks and flecking off your eyelashes. You burst into laughter when you heard Sans sputter – some of it must’ve gotten inside his nasal cavity and he hated that. Papyrus whooped with glee and made sure to steady the hat on his head so it wouldn’t fall off.
“THAT WAS AMAZING!!! LOOK AT ME, I’M DRENCHED!”
“eh…”
“Sans, are you okay?”
A thin grin. “h-heh. didn’t expect that much water.”
You rubbed your hand along his cheek to wipe some of it away, his eyesockets closing while he leaned into your touch.
“You dork.”
The ride came to a stop and Papyrus didn’t even wait for you. He jumped out and yelled something about grabbing the picture before it got deleted. Truth be told, you knew that you weren’t going to be too fond of it. You probably blinked or had a half-snarl on your face, maybe you moved too much or whatever. But if it made them happy, then you guessed you could just flip the picture frame down whenever you were alone in the room with it.
Sans walked after his brother since he was the one with cash to spare. You decided to wring your hair out and wait for them to come back, standing off to the side so you weren’t in anyone’s way.
You plucked the mouse ears off your head and tried to shake out the water, noticing the label on the back: “major hottie”. UGH! Papyrus approved that?! You almost doubled over laughing, but managed to compose yourself.
And then someone threw something at you.
It startled you more than anything. It was…a towel. Something that’d been flung from a group of people that were regarding you with disgust.
“Um…is this yours?” you called out to one of them. “I think you accidentally tossed it my way.”
One of them sneered. “No, that’s for you. Can you please cover up?”
“Yeah, it’s really grossing me out.”
“What…?”
You glanced down at yourself and paled. Oh god. Why did you do this? You knew that you were going to be on this ride, but did it ever occur to you that you shouldn’t wear a white shirt? Not only was the material thin, but now it was completely transparent. Your undergarments, your stomach. All of it spilling over your jeans, the thickness in your belly and the rolls of fat. You bit down on your lower lip and felt tears spring in the corner of your eyes. Why hadn’t you thought this through? Why didn’t either of the brothers say something when you came off? Why did they leave you here looking like this in front of everyone?
“Don’t even bother giving it back, you can just throw it away.”
“We wouldn’t want it.”
You had no idea what to even say at this point. Your blood went to ice. You looked like a drowned rat – hair sopping wet and sticking to your cheeks. Looking bloated.
“Aren’t you ashamed of yourself looking like that? There are kids here.”
You didn’t bother mentioning how there were other people around in just shorts and bikini tops. They didn’t care, because they were fixated on you for a reason.
“Why are you even wearing that?”
“It’s not flattering at all.”
“You look like you were stuffed in it.”
“Girls your size shouldn’t wear stuff like that.”
The rapid fire of questions was enough to make you freeze. You needed to get out of here, but you couldn’t move. The towel clutched in your trembling hands. Locking eyes with every one that spoke. The words ringing in your head.
One of them threw something else at you. A trashbag.
“Just put this on instead.”
“Yeah, hopefully it fits!”
It hit the ground and the tears blossomed.
“hey.”
You glanced off to the side and Sans didn’t bother looking at you. He had several copies of the photo in his hand. Papyrus approached the group sternly.
“Guys, wait!” you called out to them. “Forget it! They’re just dumb kids!”
Your voice cracked at the end of your sentence. Damn. They sure as hell weren’t going to listen to you now.
“WHY ARE YOU FLINGING SUCH HURTFUL WORDS AT OUR GIRLFRIEND? WHAT HAS SHE DONE TO YOU?”
“Shut the hell up, this isn’t about you.”
“EXCEPT IT IS. I DON’T UNDERSTAND WHY YOU’RE BEING SO CRUEL. IS IT BECAUSE YOU’RE JEALOUS?”
“Jealous of WHAT? Just look at her!”
“SHE IS QUITE BEAUTIFUL AND I LOVE HER VERY MUCH. WE HAVE BEEN TOGETHER FOR A LONG TIME AND THIS TRIP IS TO CELEBRATE OUR ANNIVERSARY. WHY ARE YOU TRYING TO RUIN IT? DON’T YOU HAVE SOMETHING BETTER TO DO THAN FOLLOW RANDOM PEOPLE AND MAKE THEM FEEL HOW YOU FEEL ABOUT YOURSELF?”
Oh, god. PAPS. You bit down on your lower lip.
“heh, see how pissed they are, bro? can’t believe you just spit some truth at ‘em. you guys don’t think we can get your intent from your words?”
None of them knew what to say, but they were all bright red in the face.
“you’re not gonna get to her. because she’s got friends, family and us. you guys don’t mean anythin’. what, you think a knockout like that cares about some random people who don’t got the guts to date one person, let alone two?”
Nothing.
“what’s wrong? ain't got nothin’ to say when someone defends themselves?”
“IT’S BECAUSE THEY ARE BEING COWARDLY. THEY THOUGHT SHE WAS EASY PREY. THEY TAKE ADVANTAGE OF PEOPLE AND TEAR THEM DOWN FOR FUN.”
“monsters don’t like that.”
“THEY DON’T.”
“actually, kind of a big deal on the surface for us. considered a hate crime.”
“ESPECIALLY IF YOU SET YOUR SIGHTS ON ONE OF US.”
One of them backed away, shaky steps indicating that they were about to make a break for it. The others were too afraid to move.
Something flashed. A spark of electricity on your tongue. You watched their SOULs go blue, one by one.
Sans grinned, though from here it looked downright menacing. “how’s that feel?”
“WE AREN’T GOING TO HURT YOU. BUT CONSIDER THIS A WARNING. IT IS…NOT GOOD FOR YOU TO WASTE SO MUCH TIME AND ENERGY INTO TRYING TO UPSET AMAZING PEOPLE.”
“no time to learn like the present, wouldn’t ya say, bro?”
They were scared shitless. The brothers would never lay a finger on them, but they thought otherwise. The threat of magic was enough that they were quivering. Ready to start sobbing. The fear that coursed through them was about the same that you felt just moments ago.
“ENOUGH, SANS. I THINK THEY HAVE LEARNED THEIR LESSON.”
Sans seemed reluctant, but the magic dissipated. The entire group turned heel and darted off without a single word.
Both of the brothers turned to you, concerned, but they didn’t have a chance to get a word out. Not when a few monsters approached you.
“Are you okay? We saw what happened.”
“Ugh, some humans are such jerks. I think you look great.”
“Me too! You can wear whatever you want!”
“Clothes are supposed to be about expressing yourself. Please don’t listen to them.”
You were flustered at the random bout of kindness. Papyrus and Sans thanked the others for you as they said their goodbyes and wished you a happy rest of your trip.
Papyrus looked guilty. “I AM SORRY FOR OVERREACTING.”
“i'm not.”
“I…” You looked over their expressions. “Thank you. Both of you. For standing up for me.”
“OF COURSE. I AM HAPPY TO DO IT. YOU…HAVE A VERY KIND HEART. A WONDERFUL SOUL. AND NO ONE SHOULD EVER LOOK DOWN ON YOU FOR YOUR BEAUTIFUL BODY.”
You flushed. “Ugh…”
“hey, wanna see the pic? might cheer you up.”
You clutched it in your hands and let out a shaky, tear-filled laugh.
On the ride, at the moment where the shutter went off, both of the brothers had given you a smooch on your cheek. Timed perfectly. You were laughing in glee, your eyes bright, nothing wrong with the world, and…
You were happy.
Both of them saw that you were overwhelmed. They both came forward and embraced you, the group hug just warm enough to destroy all traces of the negative feelings you felt from the stinging words of the group earlier.
“NOW WE GET ON ROLLERCOASTERS!”
“eh. let’s go home. my feet hurt.”
“ABSOLUTELY NOT. WE HAVE SO MUCH TO SEE!!!”
It was phenomenal. All sorts of rides. Rollercoasters. Tours. Even some little screenings in 3D! You met with nearly every character and filled up Papyrus’ special autograph book. You ate so much good food it was ridiculous. Sweets and savory stuff, chips and desserts, everything that was so bad for you but tasted so good.
Papyrus checked everything off once you completed it, too. He bought a handy book filled with all of the attractions and rides, taking you to every single corner of the park so he could show you the sights. And, of course, take a crapload of pictures to post up on Undernet and his room. You wouldn’t be surprised if he was liveblogging as you experienced everything.
Your favorite, though, had to be going through the Haunted Mansion. Between the jumpscares and the malevolent ghosts, all three of you were in stitches. You did your best not to spoil it for the younger kids on the ride, but it was just a little less frightening considering all of the “spooky” entities that were involved reminded you a lot of several monsters.
It didn’t help that Sans kept messing with you the entire time. Trying to make you laugh in the middle of a tense moment and ruin the mood.
“HOW FUN! I AM SO GLAD WE CAME.”
With the park emptying out, seeing as how it was technically a school night, all of you sat down in a spot that Papyrus deemed “worthy”. For what, you weren’t sure. But you were content to cuddle up to the bigger of the brothers, Sans off to the side texting everyone to let them know you were all heading to your hotel room soon.
“ARE YOU READY FOR THE FINAL EVENT?”
“Sure. What is it?”
From here you could see Sleeping Beauty’s castle, the entire structure nearly fluorescent against the otherwise pitch black skies. It flickered and dimmed for a moment before changing colors, the attractions around you doing the same. Spotlights aimed toward a single spot above you as a familiar voice spoke over the park’s loudspeakers, signaling the end of the day.
As the music started, fireworks burst into the air in a scattering of neon lights. Showering down with smoky tendrils in the distance, leaving you awed and in wonder. Papyrus and Sans were close, each of them taking your hand, marveling up above at the incredible sight. All colors and shapes, some of them stars, some of them every color of the rainbow, some of them…
That was…a heart.
The color of your SOUL.
With your name materializing in it.
In front of everyone.
Your grip on them tightened. Your chest got heavy with disbelief. Seeing your name thrust into the sky was indescribable. Knowing the amount of effort, time and money they had to gather just to do this. Getting the timing just right for you to witness it, here, in this spot, where you had a full view of their sudden and blatant declaration of love and devotion.
You were speechless.
It was cheesy. So cheesy. But when you turned to look at both of them, they were beaming. Blushing, even. Sans looking a little embarrassed and trying to play it off as if he didn’t know why you were gazing at him so heatedly. Papyrus outright laughing and covering his face the best he could, burning bright against his thin pair of gloves.
“…I can’t believe it,” you finally murmured, turning back to the sight. Watching the letters fade into nothingness, though the image was still burned into your memory and eyelids. “I lucked out big time. Falling in love with the two most amazing people on the planet.”
Neither of them responded. They didn’t have to. Because with a gentle kiss on either of their mouths, they knew that you were happy.
You would come back tomorrow to get the most out of your park pass, but for now…
You were content to watch the rest of the show. Together.