Chapter Text
When the Great Papyrus begins to feel a bit under the weather, at first, he thinks nothing of it. It’s probably a cold, nothing he can’t persevere through! But over time, wisps become tendrils, and tendrils become vines. His condition worsens, but he doesn’t want to burden anyone. He was fine. Some little sickness is nothing to the Great Papyrus!
The tightness he feels when Mettaton’s name alone is mentioned, however, perplexes him.
Let alone when Papyrus sees him.
He couldn’t breathe.
………..
One day when training with Undyne at their usual time, despite his best efforts, attacks are slower, and he struggles to defend. Undyne, of course, being his best friend and mentor, notices immediately. She’s a bit concerned honestly… it wasn’t like Papyrus to hold back, she knew how strong he was, but he just… seemed off. Sure, Papyrus has always been a big-hearted wimp, but he usually has more fire than this… something was wrong.
After throwing a spear near him (but not quite at him) for him to dodge, Undyne calls out. “HEY PAPYRUS!!! What’s going on with you?? You’re not as… y’know- Nyeh heh heh!!! as usual… it’s weird!” An expression flickers across his face, a blink-and-you-miss-it type thing, but then he smiles cheerfully like normal with a sheepish laugh. “SORRY UNDYNE!!! I’M FINE! I’VE JUST… HAD A BIT OF A COLD LATELY!”
She charges up to him and swings her spear and it clashes with a summoned bone of similar length that he uses to parry. “Dude, if you are actually not feeling well, you can stay home if you need to.” She says, a hint of worry in her eyes, still firmly holding the spear in place, but she can feel the way his grip trembles through the way he pushes back against her.
“EVERYTHING IS FINE!!! FEAR NOT MY FRIEND, I AM PERFECTLY FIT TO—” Papyrus falters a bit, and Undyne drops her guard, now feeling as if she were the only thing holding him upright. Papyrus had trailed off mid-sentence, and begun… coughing? Rather loudly, honestly… Undyne grimaced. When the coughs ceased, she dismissed her spear and crossed her arms, looking at him with concern.
“Dude. I really think you should rest and-”
“I-! UHM, I’M FINE!! I’LL BE RIGHT BACK!!!”
And with that, Papyrus dashes off in the distance, leaving a baffled and worried Undyne behind.
The second he gets back I’m gonna send him home to rest….
……
Once out of sight and earshot of his best friend and mentor, the coughs worsen, and Papyrus slips to his knees. He gasps, recovering his breath.
Okay, so this was strange.
Why did he feel so… sluggish? So short of breath?
If he told Undyne, she would send him home to get better, and might not see him as Royal Guard material. If he told Sans, he would fuss over him too much. It wasn’t a big deal. It was fine.
……
It wasn’t.
Hours later, he had been sent home by Undyne (much to his displeasure) and arrived to the empty house (sans was out and about) just in time to let his control falter. Soon enough, Papyrus sat on his bathroom floor, shuddering. In his hand, a single, peach colored petal.
Suddenly he is struck by another coughing fit, and a clump of petals comes up. It hurts…
He reaches for his phone.
Opens texts.
Alphys. She was probably busy.
Undyne. He couldn’t disappoint her.
Sans. He… not just yet…
Mettaton.
Papyrus feels a sharp shock course through every bone in his body, his breathing hitching and aggressive coughs hit him again with full force. He wraps his arms tightly around himself, and trembles.
He glances back at his phone screen, determinedly ignoring the wave of nausea from doing so.
He… should text him.
He wanted to.
But… not about this.
Just… to take his focus off it…?
Papyrus shakily types out a quick ‘HI’ to Mettaton. Within a few seconds, he replies.
‘Hello Darling! Is everything alright?’
‘YUP! NEVER BETTER!’
“Liar,” his entire body protests.
‘If you say so Papyrus, but you hardly ever send one word texts.’
Shoot. He was right.
‘WHOOPS! I SUPPOSE I DID. I’M SURPRISED YOU NOTICED THAT!’
‘Of course I did, Darling. I like hearing from you, you know.’
Oh.
Wow…
Papyrus has to put down the phone to fight another wave of coughs threatening to break loose. Why couldn’t he just focus on the messages??? Mettaton never failed to cheer him up, and that message was a delight, and he likes hearing from Mettaton too!
Another sharp pain, worse than the last. His soul seemed to ache. A small sound of pain escaped him.
‘AS DO I’
He barely managed to type. Nearly immediately after, the strongest wave of nausea and coughing hit, bordering a retch. Into his trembling hands Papyrus spat several more petals, and…
A small rosebud.
· · ─────── ·𖥸· ─────── · ·