Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Light pitter-patter was heard in the halls of the Ruins. A child’s small feet carrying them through each room. Blood was trickling down their face, hitting the floor in quiet droplets. Heavy panting filled the new room. 

Your back hit the tree in the middle of the room, trying to hide from the inevitable doom. You were being followed by something. Someone . 

You were playing in the woods when the forest ground beneath you disappeared. Falling for what felt like ages before your back hit a bed of flowers. Disoriented, you had started your long journey through the dark and eerie halls of the Ruins. You had tried asking for help from the odd looking creatures you came across but you only ended up hurt and bruised. You had been hiding behind a pillar when a tall goat woman saw you. Absolutely terrified, you had run off before she could do anything. You were just a child and sure she could easily catch up with you but you never looked back. You didn’t want to. 

Breathing heavily, you managed to push yourself away from the tree. Your legs were screaming for a break but you continued forward into the home of someone. You came to a halt, scared someone was about to attack you again. After a moment of silence, you dared to take your first steps. You peeked around carefully. To your left there looked to be a living room with a table for three, a cozy-looking chair, and a fireplace. To your right there was a hallway of - what you presumed was bedrooms - doors. But in front of you was a flight of stairs that led underground. You gnawed at your lip worryingly before deciding your safest choice would be downstairs. Before you could even make a move, you heard the heavy footsteps coming from the outside. Your heart stopped. You were going to die . Quickly running down a flight of stairs, you tried your best to be quiet but you knew they were coming after you. Your heart was pounding in your chest. Tears were threatening to fall down. You have never been so scared in your life. 

Before you began losing hope of ever finding a way out, you saw a door. Your celebrations were cut short when a fireball flew past your head. You yelped as you tripped on your feet. You were so close. 

‘’You shouldn’t be here, child.’’ A voice startled you. You finally turned around to see the tall goat monster from before. Her eyes were unnaturally yellow and twitchy. Her dress was tattered and dirty. She looked over your small, broken form with an unnerving smile.

The words got stuck in your throat. You wanted to ask for help. Nothing but a whimper came out.

‘’You should stay with me. You’ll be safe here.’’ Her smile did nothing to calm the pounding in your chest. As she took a step closer, you crawled back. Her eyes grew dark at your moves. That unnerving smile fell slightly, making you even more terrified.

Your eyes finally looked away from hers. You felt like she could see in your soul. Hands trembling and fidgeting with the hem of your shirt, you found your voice. ‘’Pl-please… I want to go h-home.’’ Your voice shook as you spoke. 

The scary lady scoffed as she looked away. ‘’Home… You’ll be  d u s t   as soon as you step out that door.’’ 

Tears were falling down your cheeks. Your legs shook as you slowly got up from the floor. Your eyes found those yellow, dark eyes. ‘’I-I need to go home. Please…’’ You spoke quietly, your voice breaking. 

There was a moment of silence before she summoned a fireball. You backed away in fear. Your shaking hands came in front of you, trying to shield yourself from the blow. It never came. 

‘’You leave and you never come back. It’s a dangerous world out there. Be careful of who you trust.’’ Her eyes twitched before she shot the fireball right past your head. The heat of it makes you flinch. She watches you scramble towards the door and before she knows it, you’re gone. 

It’s dark. You can barely see anything as you walk the long hallway. Your arms are outstretched in front of you, trying to find something. Anything. Your eyes are still wet from crying. Lips still trembling. Legs still shaking. But you push on until you feel columns. A way out. You walk through the columns into a bright and cold world. 

You feel the chill instantly. The snow beneath - no , covering - your yellow shoes. The hair on your body immediately stands up. Your hands come up to hug yourself for warmth. All you see is snow and trees. You let out a shaky breath as you take in the endless snowy forest. You must push forward before the cold starts seeping in. So, you start your journey through the forest. Or so you think before your body falls down after taking a few shaky steps. The weight of everything that has happened so far, finally taking its toll on you. Your body feels weaker than ever once the adrenalin has come down. 

You crawl to the closest tree slowly and lean against it, trying to get some sort of cover from the cold. You’re so tired. You try to stay awake. You think about your parents. Would your mom be looking for you? Is she worried about you? Do they- Your head flops on your shoulder as you go unconscious. 

*

Papyrus was sneaking out. He wasn’t really supposed to as he remembered the many times his brother had told him to stay indoors but he had been planning this for weeks. He wanted to see more of the Underground but as his brother kept him inside all the time, he never really got to explore much of it. Today was the day. He was going to show his brother that he can take care of himself.

He trudged through Snowdin, making sure to look totally unphased by the looks some of the monsters were giving him. His brother, Sans, and their caretaker, Gaster, always told him to look intimidating and apathetic by anything anyone says or does. But he hadn’t been by himself ever so the looks from others were starting to make him sweat. Papyrus turned his eyes downwards, making sure to look as unsuspecting as possible. He can’t have them telling Sans or especially Gaster about his little trip.

Once he was away from the scrutinizing eyes of his fellow monsters, he practically ran the rest of the way. Excited to finally spend some time outside. By himself! Normally Sans would shortcut them to where they wanted to spend time at, so he didn’t really get to see much of the Underground. 

Though soon he found himself lost. To his surprise. Papyrus looked around in panic. He didn’t know this area. He couldn’t call Sans, he wasn’t supposed to be outside! He was about to try to follow his steps back to town in defeat when he saw a small lump leaning against a tree. His wide eyes looked around, trying to see if this was a trap of sorts but found nothing. He decided to look closer.

The small skeleton’s boots were filling with snow as he got close to the lump until he heard it. A quiet whimper. They’re alive! Papyrus scooted next to the ball. They had their arms wrapped around their midsection, trying to stay warm. They were wearing blue shorts and a yellow-orange striped t-shirt. He noticed their pale lips and shivering form. They must be cold. Papyrus quickly took off his red scarf - which was a present from his big brother -  and wrapped it around the small creature. They stirred. The skeleton was too distracted by your strange form to notice you had woken up.

Your eyes weakly opened to see nothing but a blurry figure. You could tell you were still laying in the snow but you felt strangely warm. Your eyes started to slowly adjust when you looked at the figure leaning close to you, murmuring to themself. A small skeleton with a black shirt with red stripes, sharp teeth, and wide eyes with red pupils. They seemed to be a child. A friend? You looked down at your body to see a red scarf wrapped around your small frame. They must’ve saved you. When you looked back up at them, they were looking back at you. You both froze. 

There was a beat of silence as the two children looked curiously at each other. Your eyes staring into those red eye lights. ‘’H-Hello,’’ you shakily say, lifting your hand for a wave. 

‘’Greetings! Why are you sleeping in the snow?’’ The skeleton gives you a curious look.

‘’I was trying to h-hide but… um… tired?’’ you timidly answer, looking away. The monster seemed nicer. Nicer than the ones who attacked you in the Ruins. Should I trust them? The words of the goat monster playing in your head. ‘’C-Can I trust you?’’ You looked into those wide eyes.

The red eyed skeleton blinked at you before giving you a smile. ‘’Of course. I won’t hurt you,’’ he said knowingly. Papyrus knew it in his soul, he could never hurt anyone. 

You returned a trembling smile. I can trust them.  

The cold was starting to affect you after the initial shock. Your hands and feet felt numb. Your whole body was trembling as you pulled the scarf closer to you, trying to get warmer. The skeleton took notice of this as they got up and reached out to you with their hand, ‘’You must be freezing! I-I know a place where you can hide out.’’ 

Papyrus knew he wasn’t supposed to do this. It could get him hurt, or so his brother always thinks. But the child, most likely his age, was hurt, cold and most of all, kinder. Kinder than the monsters at Snowdin. He wanted to help. Maybe he’d finally have a friend. Sans always insisted they’re best friends and he’s all he needs but brothers hardly count as proper friends. 

You carefully took a hold of his outstretched hand. He helps you up, though you almost trip the both of you into the snow as your legs immediately buckle underneath you. ‘’S-Sorry!’’ you quickly apologize as he holds on to you tightly.

You both start your trek to Snowdin. It feels like eternity to you with your weak legs but both of you make it to the town before the skeleton child stops. Your head turns to him in confusion. ‘’W-What is it?’’

He gently let go of your body, making sure you’re not going to fall over before speaking, ‘’We should be quick and discreet!’’ He looks at you with a determined but nervous look. You nod before the two of you are trying your best at sneaking past the intimidating monsters. You keep your head down, not wanting to provoke any attacks again. The only thing you can feel is the rapid pounding in your chest as you follow the skeleton, whose wide eyes have turned into a scary scowl. 

Papyrus opens the door to their home before ushering you inside. Both of you let out a loud breath you didn’t know you have been holding. Looking around the small house you see a green couch facing a tv, a family portrait hung up on the maroon-colored walls, and a- a rock? On the dining table. Before you can say anything, the wide-eyed skeleton grabs your hand and starts pulling you across the room upstairs. ‘’W-We should hide in my room! It’s the safest place in all of Underground!’’ They stop at a door covered in different signs, tape and stickers. 

*

Clock ticking filled the sterile room. A teen was sitting on a plush desk chair with their head resting on the cold metal table. A groan escaped his sharp teeth. He threw his hands onto his skull to soothe his aching head, grimacing at the sound of bones scraping against each other. 

A light bulb flickered above him as he slowly looked back up at the screen. The glow of the screen lit up his tired face. The report showed multiple charts and numbers he couldn’t get his mind to focus on anymore. He just wanted to go home and sleep the pain away. 

His skeletal hands tugged on the collar of his red turtleneck while looking down at the clipboard. Just write it down. It’s just an experiment. Just. An. Experiment. He let out a shaky breath, trying to calm himself down before scribbling on the lined paper. 

Patient 104’s stats are falling. At this rate, survival is not expected. Experiment failed.

He dropped the pen, it rolling off the table, before grabbing the clipboard and leaving the small office. A long hallway stretched before him as his red, untied sneakers scuffed against the floor. His white lab coat, too big for him, dragged behind him. He’s been told off many times for not cutting shorter but he’s too lazy for that. He’ll probably grow into it soon enough.

His hands clutch the wooden clipboard once he gets to the door. With a deep scowl on his face, he knocks on the black door. Silence. The skeleton tries again. A deafening silence fills the air. He curls into himself, making the collar of the turtleneck hide some of his face, and opens the door. 

The large office is lit by a single desk lamp. Papers and books litter the large desk pushed against the wall in the middle. The wall to his left has a large screen, showing more stats from another patient. Another experiment of his . Two metal tables with different chemicals, microscopes, burners, and needles, are pushed against each other in the middle of the office. To his right stands tall cabinets filled with more cruel scientific objects that he’s not supposed to go to without his permission. 

No doctor in sight, he scurries to the desk on the other side and places the clipboard with analytics on it. Within a few seconds, he’s out of his office. He lets out a sigh.

Time to go home. 

*

‘’This is so cool!’’

‘’Y-Yeah? I mean of course it is! Nyeh!’’ 

You were scrolling through a book about puzzles the small skeleton had given you while he ran around looking for more blankets to warm you up from your frozen state. Your pocket-sized frame was wrapped in a small mountain of blankets. The shivering had ceased and the feeling in your limbs was starting to return. Your wet clothes clung to your body but you didn’t want to bother the other child. He had already done so much for you.

The two of you were in the frantic skeleton’s and his older brother’s room. You’re in your blanket mountain, sitting on the bottom bunk of their bunkbed. Apparently, that was his brother’s bed as he pointed out how messy and unmade it was compared to his own. He had proudly told you that he had the cleanest bed in all of Underground. He even exclaimed that you can climb up to check.

Next to the bed stood a wooden table where the younger skeleton’s collection of different toys sat. On the wall opposite you, hang a black flag with a skull and crossbones, underneath it a small pile of white socks. Next to it was a bookcase filled with various different tales, comics, and informational books. Between the bookcase and the dresser, that sat beneath the window, was a - what you presumed a closet - door. The room felt safe.

The skeleton child had returned with an armful of blankets and was adding them to your heap. ‘’T-There we go!’’ He held a proud smile on his face. 

You placed the book on the bed before snaking your arms into the warm bundle. ‘’Thank you so much,’’ you said with a sheepish smile. 

‘’O-of course! I am indeed the g-great Papyrus!’’ he exclaimed with a slight blush on his face.

Papyrus? ‘’Papyrus? Is that your name?’’ you realized neither of you had introduced each other in the midst of all this. 

‘’Oh no! I f-forgot to introduce myself to a new friend,’’ his voice trembled as if he had committed the worst of crimes. ‘’My n-name is Papyrus. W-What’s yours?’’ he tried again, stuttering, with a sad frown on his face.

‘’Y/n. Nice to meet you, Papyrus.’’ You gave him a friendly smile, happy to finally have a name for your savior and possible new friend. His eye lights gleamed with happiness. 

Papyrus sat next to you on the plush bed, grabbing the book on puzzles, fidgeting with the seams. The sound of his phalanges scratching the spine of the handbook filled the bedroom. 

Your tiny voice cut through the silence, ‘’W-Where are we? I’ve never… I’ve never been here before.’’ He looked at you with surprise.

‘’Oh! W-We’re in Snowdin. Are you from the- the city?’’ he asks curiously, his fidgeting coming to a pause. 

‘’Y-Yes! Can you take me home?’’ You look at the skeleton with hope in your eyes. Your hands are tightly clamped together while you lean closer to him with hopeful anticipation. 

‘’Of course! I can get you h-home but we need to sneak out,’’ he proclaimed, sitting up straight, before mumbling quietly, ‘’I-I’m not supposed to go out by myself…’’

‘’I’m not allowed to go alone either…’’

‘’Then- Then we’ll be the s-sneakiest monsters around t-together!’’

‘’I-I’m not-’’ ‘’Oh, I never introduced you to my toys!’’ 

As he goes into a long rant about each of his toys, you notice the feeling has returned to your hands as you flex your fingers. Papyrus’s red scarf still loosely wrapped around you as you had pushed the blankets off from the heat. Your nose is no longer runny and your cheeks feel warm against the skin. Peace and safety take over as you listen to Papyrus talk about his long-haired troll doll. 

‘’Sans always tells me to c-cut off the hair when it gets stuck in my joints,’’ he huffs. ‘’I think it looks really cool. I wouldn’t mind having long red hair!’’ You giggled at his antics while he pretends to flick his imaginary locks. Now that he was in his comfort zone, he was very lively and fun to be with. You can’t remember the last time you had so much fun. 

Papyrus picks up an armless action figure as he starts explaining how he wants to be a hero. Your mind starts focusing on the ache on your head, no longer focusing on Papyrus, his mouth moving but not hearing a word. You reach up to your skull, wincing as you feel a cut. The blood had dried on the hair on your head and a trail of dried, flaky blood from the gash had snaked itself down your face while you had been escaping. 

You hear murmuring. The wide-eyed skeleton is looking at you with a frown. ‘’...okay? Are you okay?’’ His hold on the figurine tight as he looked from the gash to your eyes. 

‘’Do… Do you have bandaids? I-I think my- I’m hurt,’’ you trailed off, wincing when Papyrus reached over to touch the wound on your head. He recoiled his hand quickly from you. ‘’Oh, I’m really sorry! Yes… Yes! We have b-bandaids and I can get you some food. You must be s-starving.’’

He dropped the figurine on your lap before running off, determined, leaving you alone to sit in silence. 

*

Papyrus ran down the stairs, through the living room to the kitchen where the small box of bandaids sat. 

He climbed onto the cold counter, rummaging the cabinets until he found the metal case. The skeleton placed it by his feet, wanting to still find something for the hurt child to eat. Boxes of different pasta, tomatoes, vinegar, and a can of coffee grounds. He grimaced at the sight of the scarce shelves. A sigh escaped him as he was about to give up on finding food until he saw a half-empty bag of popato chisps. 

Papyrus wasn’t a fan of the greasy food Sans seemed to enjoy but this was his only hope of healing Y/n. Grabbing the bag, he jumped off the counter and snatched the case of bandaids before leaving the kitchen, proud of himself. 

His joy was short-lived when the door opened.

‘’hey, paps. how was yer-’’ 

Papyrus froze when he heard his brother’s voice. No! He’ll know.  

Sans, the older brother, halted when he saw his younger brother frozen, holding a box of bandaids, in the middle of the living room. 

Neither said a word until Sans rushed over to Papyrus, eyelights gone. ‘’are yeh hurt?! who the hell did it?’’ he growled while holding Papyrus’s arms in place while looking over his brother, not noticing any injuries. The older brother had a deep frown on his face as he eyed his frozen sibling. 

‘’paps…’’ Sans stared into those wide eyes, ‘’yeh better tell me…’’ 

Papyrus knew he wasn’t supposed to leave the house unattended, and especially not bring any strangers home. He couldn’t tell him. He can’t know. He just wanted friends. Tears brimmed in his eyes as he couldn’t get any words out.

‘’...did he do somethin’?’’ Sans’s eyes softened at the sight, eyelights returning.

‘’N-No but…’’ he hesitated, glancing at their door. His brother would find his new friend immediately if he went in. Would they realize to hide? Could he stall for them? 

That glance didn’t go unnoticed, as before Papyrus could say anything, Sans was already stomping his way to their room.

‘’W-Wait, Sans! I-... I’m making a s-surprise! Y-Yes! You c-can’t go in t-there!’’ he tried to bargain with his steaming brother. Sans wasn’t listening. Something was off. His brother never lied to him.

Y/n jumped from the bed when the door slammed open, two pairs of frantic footsteps pounding against the floor. A skeleton with a red turtleneck, black shorts, and very sharp teeth stomped over to you, their angry red eyelights looking straight at you. He grabbed you by your t-shirt before growling in your face, ‘’who the hell are yeh? wha’ yeh do ta my brother?’’ 

Your breath hitched in your throat as your body shook in fear. Startled from the sudden intrusion, you couldn’t get any words out. 

Papyrus was pulling on the other skeleton’s shirt, crying out, ‘’Sans! N-No! Please, don’t h-hurt them! They’re my friend…’’ He had tears streaming down his face, scared that he was going to lose the first friend he ever had. 

Sobbing filled the tense air. Sans’s hand still gripping the collar of your shirt, he studied your form; your scared eyes, the gash on your head, Papyrus’s red scarf wrapped around you. He never takes it off. Not even in his sleep. 

‘’S-Sans…’’ Papyrus cried out, rubbing the tears away with the sleeve of his shirt. He wanted to be strong for you. 

You let out a whimper, scared for yourself, but wanting to comfort your new, sweet friend. ‘’P-Please… He- He just helped me. I w-was hurt and he found me and-’’ 

‘’paps. i’ve told yeh it’ dangerous out there, why were yeh out?’’ Sans frowning eyes glanced at the smaller skeleton, whose arms are still pulling at his shirt. He refused to meet his eyes.

‘’I-I just wanted to see…’’ he whispered, fidgeting with the hem of the red turtleneck. ‘’It’s so lonely here…’’ Papyrus sniffled before looking into his big brother’s worried eyes. ‘’I’m sorry…’’

Sans let go of your striped shirt, letting you crumble on the ground, before he turned to his crying brother. Gently wiping the tears from Papyrus’s face with his sleeve, Sans grabbed his hand to pull him out of the room. The scary skeleton gave you a glare before the two left your sight.

Once the two are out of their bedroom in the hallway Sans pulls his brother into a hug. ‘’don’ ever scare me like that…’’ ‘’S-Sorry…’’ he hears his brother mumble into his knitted, red shirt. They hold onto each other tightly, worried the other will disappear. 

Sans patted his younger sibling’s skull before pulling him away. ‘’are yeh okay? no one… hurt yeh?’’ His eyes scanned Papyrus’s face for any sign of an injury. If that other child even laid a finger on his sweet younger brother, he’d have one hell of a time.  

‘’N-No, I’m okay…’’ he replied quietly, nervously wringing his hands together. ‘’Do- Do they have to leave already? I-I was going to help them g-get home.’’

Sans’s eyelights went out again as he looked at his brother in dread. He almost lost him. He almost lost Papyrus.  

He pulled his startled brother into a crushing hug, trying to get his hands to stop trembling. 

‘’S-Sans? Is something wrong?’’ Papyrus looked at the trembling skeleton clinging to him with his dear life. 

‘’i almost lost yeh…’’ he whispered to himself, still loud enough for Papyrus to him.

‘’L-Lost? T-They just live in the- the city. I r-remember where it is!’’ the younger brother stuttered, clearly worried for his brother. 

‘’w-what? the city?’’ Sans eyed the other in confusion.

‘’Sans! N-New home! A-Are you okay? You should really get more sleep!’’ Papyrus scolded him softly, a frown still present on his face.

‘’paps. that’ a human.’’ 

Chapter Text

You were sitting curled up on the bedroom floor, clutching the red scarf tightly. You could hear mumbling through the door but could only make out that they were talking about you. 

A sigh escaped your small lips as you pulled your legs closer to yourself, resting your head on the knees. You just wanted to go home but from the looks of it you weren’t getting any help from them after all, the memory of the scary skeleton holding you by your collar flashing in your eyes. Shaking your head, you got up, wanting to apologize to the brothers for everything. You didn’t mean to make your new friend cry. The guilt was already eating at you.

Your shaky feet carried you to the entrance. Mumbling became louder. You could hear bits and pieces of their talk. Pushing your ear against the door, you tried to listen in on the conversation.

‘’- a human.’’

‘’Huh? B-But they’re n-not dangerous!’’ you heard Papyrus cry out. ‘’We- We can’t take them to the k-king!’’

Your eyebrows furrowed in confusion. The king? Ebott didn’t have a king? Where were you?

‘’paps… we can’ keep a human. we’ll be in trouble if anyone finds out. besides… i don’ think the doc’s gonna approve of us harborin’ a human.’’

Your heartbeat pounded in your chest as your small frame leaned against the door. You were in trouble. You should’ve never left home. You should’ve listened to your mother. Your head hurts from the frantic thoughts combined with your head injury. Ears ringing, body heating up, you rub your temple, trying to ease the ache. It does nothing to ease the panic. 

Your breathing becomes erratic while you push your forehead against the coolness of the door. You blink your eyes, trying to force the feeling of not being in your body away. You claw at your fast-rising chest, the red scarf falling off you in your movements. Not being able to hear, you feel a vibration coming from your throat. A desperate whine leaves your body. 

In a blink of an eye, the door is wide open and you fall on your hands and knees, still frantically breathing. 

Papyrus scatters over to your trembling form. ‘’Y/n! A-Are you okay? Are you c-cold again?’’ He tries searching you for any new injuries and even checking your forehead for your temperature. He looks over at his frozen brother, still holding the handle of the door. ‘’S-Sans, what do I-I do?’’ 

Sweat droplets appear on the skeleton’s forehead as he looks at his worried younger brother and the shaking human. He is not cut out for this. First thinking his brother is injured, then finding out he’s actually hiding a human , and now he’s taking care of it . 

‘’-ans! Sans!’’ 

He shook his head to get rid of the daze. Papyrus was looking at him with worried, wide eyes, not knowing what to do. He let out a puff of air and put his hands in his pockets, looking away from the two children. 

‘’a panic attack…’’ he mumbled into the collar of his turtleneck. 

‘’An a-attack? T-They were a-attacked?’’ Papyrus started panicking. He grasped your shoulder, about to pull you to safety somewhere away from the hidden danger. 

‘’no, paps. umm… a panic attack,’’ Sans shifted around in his spot, not knowing how to deal with two panicking kids. ‘’just… uh, calm ‘em down.’’ 

Papyrus glanced between you and the other skeleton before hesitantly focusing on you. ‘’Umm… Y-Y/n, c-can you calm down? You’re safe with- with us. N-No one is gonna a-attack you. Not even the p-panic.’’ 

Sans snickered under his breath at that last part. 

‘’We’ll k-keep you safe, okay? You can s-stay with us! R-Right, Sans?’’ Papyrus looked at his older brother with hope in his eyes, almost desperate. 

Sans’s eyes jumped to him, irritated and worried. ‘’paps, didn’ I just say we’ll be in trouble?’’ he growled out, glancing at you in suspicion. 

Your breathing had started to even out. Your shirt didn’t feel like it was choking you anymore and the ringing in your ears had stopped. You felt a bony hand gripping your shoulder tightly. 

Papyrus felt your shoulders dropping slowly as he looked into his brother’s disgruntled eyes. ‘’W-We- I can hide them! D-Dad won’t find out! Sans, please…’’ 

You hear Sans sigh. You lift your shaky hands to sit on your knees, looking up at the two brothers. Papyrus had his eyes trained onto the fidgeting skeleton. You look between the two before speaking up with a quiet, shaky voice, ‘’I-It’s okay, Papyrus. I just want to go home. Please…’’ 

Sans scoffed as he eyed the kid in disbelief. ‘’yeh think ya can just walk out? and how do ya think that’ll work? huh. you’d just waltz into the king’s throne room and he’ll let ya go? the guy will rip yer fuckin’ soul out, kid.’’ He had stalked over to you and was now staring into your scared eyes with his dark voids. He could practically feel the terror dripping off of you. 

‘’Sans! D-Don’t say that!’’ Papyrus yells out beside you. 

You gawk at him with your mouth wide open. ‘’W-What?’’ It’s almost like your heart stops beating as you take in the words. ‘’But-’’

‘’yer not on the surface anymore, okay? yer stuck here like the rest o’ us,’’ Sans snapped, his sharp teeth grinding against each other. He shifted around to lean against the wall of the hallway, hands still stuck in his pockets, and looked away from the two of you.

Sighing, Papyrus got up and offered you his hand. You peek at the larger skeleton before deeming it safe, you accept the small hand. He hoists you up with surprising ease. Unsure of what to do, you glance at Sans. You didn’t quite understand what he meant by stuck but you don’t dare to question him as he grumbles under his breath. 

Still holding your hand, Papyrus pulls you back into their bedroom, you grab the red scarf on your way in. Sans slowly, with his feet dragging against the floor, follows you. You’re pushed back to sit on the bed again while Papyrus snags the popato chisps and the box of bandaids that he had abandoned on the floor during the chaos. 

‘’E-Eat this. It’ll help you heal.’’ He hands you a half-eaten bag of chips, you gladly take it, the hunger finally starting to hit you. As you’re munching on the chips, with shaking hands he moves some of your hair away to place a bandaid on your wound. You flinch nonetheless, almost choking on your snack. ‘’Oh, s-sorry!’’ Papyrus jumps away from you, scared of hurting you again. Sans stands in the middle of the room, studying you with judging eyes. 

‘’It’s fine! It- It doesn’t hurt as much anymore. Umm… thank you,’’ you shake your head, bashful. Surprisingly enough, the chips had helped you. Your body wasn’t aching and you couldn’t feel the cut anymore. It felt like you were magically healed. 

You fidget with the scarf after inhaling the rest of the chips. ‘’So… W-What did you mean by- by stuck?’’ You glance at the brooding skeleton. 

Sans just looked away and scoffed. Papyrus peeked at his brother in concern. ‘’It’s… Umm… T-The barrier keeps us here, it can only be b-broken with… souls,’’ he explained, looking at his brother for confirmation. He nodded back at him. Papyrus chuckled nervously once he turned his attention to you. 

‘’Souls?’’

‘’Y-Your soul is a… the essence?’’ The younger sibling checked for confirmation from the older. ‘’Y-Yes! It’s the essence of your being. E-Everyone has one b-but human souls are different-’’ 

‘’which is why ya can’ just walk out.’’

Startled, both of you look at Sans.

‘’he needs human souls to break the barrie’...’’ he looks you dead in the eye. You shiver, gripping the scarf tightly in your lap. Your head was spinning. Human souls? Did you have a soul? Were you in trouble again? 

‘’Can I help?’’ you ask quietly, almost a whisper. ‘’I mean… Can’t I give my soul? To help?’’ They both gawk at you.

‘’No! Y/n, that- that means-’’ Papyrus stumbles, almost looking about ready to cry again. He took your hand, squeezing it to the point of pain. ‘’You- You can’t do that! Okay? You stay with us.’’ He was determined.

You felt a small smile rise on your face as for the first time in a while, you felt wanted. Maybe being stuck here wouldn’t be so bad! Sure there was a spooky skeleton staring daggers into your skull but you would give anything to feel loved and wanted. 

That smile fell once you heard that disgruntled voice again. ‘’paps… seriously? listen-’’ 

‘’No! Sans, you listen!’’ Papyrus yelled out before nervously looking away from his brother, whose face showed nothing but bewilderment and curiosity. Your eyes were wide open as well, not having expected the small stuttering skeleton from before to burst out like that. ‘’I… We can hide them. I can hide them but please… Don’t take away my friend. Sans, I-I don’t ask for much but can I have this one thing?’’ 

The silence felt deafening as Sans furrowed his brows at the two of you, grinding his teeth slightly. 

‘’I’ll d-do your c-chores!’’ Papyrus blurted out, not being able to deal with the scrutinizing look of his brother.

You definitely didn’t expect Sans to just snort. ‘’kid, ya already do my chores.’’ His look turned serious as he eyed you once more, sighing, he rubbed his skull. ‘’look, just hide ‘em well. we can’ have the doc finding out about this.’’

‘’Really? You promise? T-They can stay?’’ Papyrus was practically screaming into your ear. 

‘’this ain’ a promise but… sure.’’ 

Papyrus looked at you with stars in his eyes as he gave you the biggest smile possible, still squeezing your hand tightly. Returning the squeeze, you give a grateful look to the other brother, who’s still eyeing you carefully, before cracking and pulling Papyrus into a hug. You felt warm, happy, and incredibly indebted to the two brothers.

*

Overhead lights flickered as a dark, long-legged figure strode the halls, boots clacking against the cold floor. Their black lab-coat danced behind them as they passed doors upon doors in a hurry. Humming of machinery, incoherent yelling, and banging filled the otherwise silent, sterile air. 

A skeletal hand pressed a button as they entered the buzzing elevator, it quickly rising before opening with a creaky ding. Hands behind their back, they strut to their destination through the gray, empty corridors. 

Coming to their destination, their sharp mouth forms a vile grin as they greet the other large, dark creature. 

‘’Ever so early, my king.’’ 

‘’I didn't call you here to tell jokes, doctor,’’ he scoffed and took a moment to rest his eyes on the 4 containers in the center of the room. ‘’It’s been 7 months, I need progress.’’ 

‘’I am doing what I can. The subjects haven’t been reacting well to the treatments. We’re almost out of Perseverance. If you’d only give us a new soul to extract an-’’

‘’Not good enough! I am not giving you more souls until you show me progress!’’ he swung around to face the doctor. ‘’I’ve given over 20 subjects for you to do as you please, yet you only keep coming back with failures and setbacks.’’

The glow emitting from the small hearts shined on their faces as the larger figure glared at the tall one furiously. The tall doctor held a strained grin, clenching his fists behind his back.

‘’I will get-’’

‘’Your pay will be cut in half for the duration until you give me a win.’’ 

‘’I am sure that-’’

‘’You know what’s at stake here! My people are tired of waiting. If you want to keep your title as the Royal Scientist, you will do whatever it takes.’’

A tense silence filled the room as the two eyed each other threateningly. The scientist was the first to look away, giving a small nod to the king. Clenching his jaw, he stiffly speaks up.

‘’Of course, my king. Whatever it takes.’’

*

Banging of cupboards opening and closing was heard in the small home. Pillows cluttered the living room floor and kitchen chairs were tipped over. All of you were trying to find a hiding spot for you. Well, it was mostly Papyrus. Actually no, it was just Papyrus. 

You were standing in the middle of the room as Papyrus ran past you again.

‘’D-Do you think you could hide under this?’’ he questioned, looking under the very low tv stand. You rubbed the back of your head.

‘’I don’t think I’d fit, Papyrus.’’ You tilted your head, giving a flustered grin. 

He rubbed his chin thoughtfully, sitting back on his feet. ‘’What about…’’ he dragged his words, looking around the room. 

A lightbulb lit up in his head as he gasped, wagging his finger. ‘’The couch! Under the couch!’’

You hummed, ‘’We- We already tried that. I don’t fit under or in the couch. Figured that pretty fast.’’ 

‘’Oh. Y-Yeah! I- I forgot.’’ the small skeleton mumbled, abashed, rubbing his neck. 

You hear a grumble. You focus your eyes on the other skeleton laying on the green couch.

Sans had plopped on the couch after Papyrus had tried to push you in the couch unsuccessfully. He had just closed his eyes, not interested in helping even after Papyrus’s fussing over the hiding place. The spooky skeleton was now staring at you with his red eyelights.

Your eyes dart around, nervously chewing on your bottom lips, not wanting to face those unnerving eyes. His eyes just kept following you with alarming calmness. Your ears heat up in embarrassment as you fidget in your spot, fiddling with the hem of your striped shirt. A hand suddenly grabs your wrist. With your nerves on edge, you jump at the sudden touch. 

Papyrus doesn’t notice and pulls you behind him to the kitchen. He opens the cabinet under the sink, showing pipes, bottles of cleaning solution, and a bucket with rubber gloves. 

‘’T-This must be the best hiding spot! You can stay in t-there.’’ he proudly announces, crossing his arms. 

‘’I-’’

‘’paps, the kitchen’s too risky. the doc’s in here half the time he’s home.’’ Sans speaks up, leaning against the entrance, a half-amused grin on his face. 

Papyrus’s posture slumps as he looks down, feeling defeated and letting out a soft sigh. You place a hand on his bony shoulder, giving him a few gentle pats. He looks at you with a frown, his hands wringing together nervously. 

‘’It’s okay. We’ll find something,’’ you try to encourage him. The small skeleton cracks a small smile, hesitatingly nodding before grabbing your arm again. 

‘’C’mon, let’s t-try the bedroom again!’’ 

As he pulls you out of the kitchen, you feel Sans’s gaze on you when you brush past him. Shuddering, you rush away with your new friend, not wanting to be left alone with his older brother. 

Sans followed you into the cluttered room, Papyrus had left pillows, toys, and blankets scattered everywhere before they had ventured out of the bedroom. 

‘’M-Maybe they can just hide in my b-bed.’’ Papyrus looked down from the top of the bunk bed. You were halfway up the ladder when you heard a gruff voice quickly shut down the idea. 

‘’yeah, no.’’

‘’S-Sans! You can’t say n-no to all the ideas.’’

You got off the ladder quickly, not in the mood to anger the skeleton any further. 

Sans pushed his hands into his pockets and shrugged his shoulders. ‘’Sans!’’ He just gave him a grin, shifting around and kicking one of the plush pillows away. 

‘’W-Well, how about-’’ BANG!

The front door slamming shut makes the three of you jump. You hear something smack on the kitchen table, followed by a deep growl. 

‘’shit,’’ Sans stammers under his breath, sweat starting to grow on his skull. Papyrus is hectically looking around, shaking, worry on his face. 

‘’Umm… What’s hap-’’ Papyrus quickly shushes you before spotting the closet and pushing you towards it. 

‘’You- You n-need to h-hide.’’ 

‘’Is that-’’ ‘’N-No time.’’ 

He moves some clothes around before grabbing you and pushing you into the corner of the closet. Tears in his eyes, he puts his bony finger on his teeth, shaking his head. No time for questions. You nod your head hesitantly before sinking to the floor of the closet. He shoves clothes in front of you, barely being able to hide you. 

‘’S-Sans. I-I can’t-’’ Papyrus looks behind him, stuttering worse than before. Sans appears next to him, his eyelights fuzzy and dark. You cower slightly, not being able to hide under his dark gaze, though he doesn’t seem to mind you at this moment. 

‘’paps, ya remembe’ how ta summon bones?’’ He nudges his brother lightly. A look of relief passes Papyrus’s face as he seems to remember something.

‘’Oh, of c-course! Y/n, y-you stay right there, okay? I-I’m gonna do something.’’ He waits for you to slowly nod at him before his eyelights shine slightly brighter as glowing bones begin to form a sort of wall before you. 

You stare at the slowly forming wall of bones in awe, feeling your tense body relax bit by bit. Once the two scared skeletons are out of view the glow disappears and the door closes, leaving you in the dark. 

Hearing footsteps coming up the stairs, you cover your mouth with your hand, trying to disguise your heavy breathing. You close your eyes, waiting.

BANG!

You flinch when the door to the bedroom swings open, slamming against a wall powerfully. A sharp voice booms in the house.

‘’What the hell is going on?’’

*

Sans is standing in front of his younger brother, staring up at the tall, steaming figure. Clenching his fists in his pockets, he flashes a mocking grin. 

‘’wha’ ya mean? ‘m pretty sure me and my bro have been here the whole time.’’ 

The black lab-coat-clad figure snarls, bearing his teeth at the two. 

‘’Do not test me, boy.’’ His eyelights flash.

Sans grinds his teeth together in a scowl, pushing his skull into the collar of his shirt. Papyrus cowers behind his brother, grabbing a fistful of the back of his red turtleneck, looking down, away from those daring eyes. The air feels tense and suffocating. 

The towering skeletal figure hums, ‘’Who’s fault is the mess in the living room?’’ Tilting his chin up, he looks down at the two smaller skeletons. 

Papyrus doesn’t get to even open his mouth when Sans is already answering, ‘’mine, doc. i lost one of pap’s toy-’’

He’s cut off with an ear-ringing slap, his skull swinging to the left from the blow. He can feel Papyrus shaking behind him, a small whimper leaving him. A shaky breath escapes his sharp teeth before slowly turning his head back to the doctor, eyes dark. 

‘’Do not defend him,’’ the scientist growls. Sans shakes in anger as he glares defiantly up at the tall doctor.  ‘’Oh, do not give me that look unless you want your brother to receive the same treatment.’’ Eyes snapping to the small, shivering skeleton, hiding behind his older brother. 

Papyrus sniffles quietly and tries his best to keep the tears from spilling as he glances at the mean doctor, who’s staring right at him. He freezes, breath getting stuck in his throat as he’s under the scrutinizing gaze of the doctor. The moment feels like hours before the doctor blinks, snapping his fingers. 

‘’Clean it up before dinner,’’ and he leaves the room without a second glance. 

Neither say a word until they hear the bedroom next to theirs shut. Papyrus pushes his face into the back of Sans’s shirt, letting those unspilled tears finally free. Quietly sobbing, he feels his brother gulp and take a deep breath or two. 

Sans shakes his head, turning around to pat the crying skeleton’s head, only to get crushed in a tight hug. ‘’hey, buddy,’’ he breathes out, petting his brother’s skull. 

He hears him mumble against his shirt. ‘’yeh know i can’ hear you if yer hiding in ma shirt like tha’.’’ 

‘’...I’m sorry,’’ Papyrus whispers, pulling away and wiping his face with the sleeves of his shirt. 

‘’nah, kid. don’ need to do any of that.’’ Grinning lazily at his anxious little brother. 

‘’But… But he-’’ 

‘’don’t ya have a friend to check on?’’ Sans taps his nose - er, nose hole - and shrugs his shoulders. 

Papyrus lights up, wiping away the tears in a hurry. ‘’Oh! Y-Yes! Umm… You- You stay r-right there.’’ He rushes into the closet.

Still with your eyes closed, you feel light shine into the dark closet as the door opens suddenly. Peeking a look, you see that the wall of bones has disappeared and Papyrus is kneeling in front of you.

‘’A-Are you okay? S-Sorry, that was kind of s-scary.’’ He reaches to you, offering a hand which you gladly accept. He pulls you up. 

‘’Yeah, I’m okay. Who- Who was that?’’ you ask, fearing the answer as you close the closet door behind you two. 

Papyrus starts wringing with his hands again, looking anywhere but at you. Sans is sitting on his bed, slumped with his skull hanging low, for the first time not eyeing you down. You frown when you see a small crack on Sans’s face that wasn’t there before. 

‘’Was that-’’ You bite your inner cheek nervously. ‘’Your dad?’’

The small skeleton answers with a distraught chuckle before quickly clearing his throat, ‘’H-He can be n-nice w-when he wants to. But- But maybe you s-shouldn’t meet him. Just incase…’’ He shakily nods, agreeing with himself, looking at you with scared eyes. After hearing how he’s treating his sons, you were not in the mood to figure out what he’d do to you, a human nonetheless. 

‘’O-Okay,’’ he hums and claps his bony hands together with a clack. ‘’I’m going to c-clean the living room. Y-You stay here.’’ He points at you before hesitantly leaving, glancing at you from the entrance. 

The door clicks shut, leaving you alone with Sans for the first time.  

A painfully awkward silence ensues. 

You’re shifting around, balancing your weight side to side, trying to come up with something to say. Every now and then, glancing at the older skeleton, who is unmoving on the bed. You’re lost on words.

You take a breath, mumbling, ‘’Uh, I’m- I’m sorry… about, you know, everything. I didn’t mea-’’

Sans is suddenly in your face, so close to you, you can feel the anger radiate off of him. 

‘’no, listen, shut the fuck up,’’ he growls, keeping his voice low. ‘’ya have no right. no right to say tha’.’’

His other eye flashes red before they both go dark. You lean back, shivering, almost ready to call for Papyrus despite the other danger lurking in the house. 

‘’yeh dare hurt paps, yer gonna have a bad time. ya hear me? ya dare to hurt a bone in that kid’s body, ‘m gonna rip that soul out maself.’’ he whispers through his strained teeth. You nod fervently, not being able to look away from his dark voids.

The red glowing eye returns as he looks you over, judging your reaction. You gulp about to say something when Sans interrupts you. 

‘’don’ go near the doc. he’s a helluva lot less merciful than me and paps won’ take tha’ well. just… hide and shut yer mouth hole.’’ 

He leans back, away from you, letting you finally breathe. You wrap your arms around you in comfort. You feel the skeleton’s anger subside as his eyelights fully return, calmer. The overhead lamp shines on the two of you as you stare at each other curiously.

You have so many questions. You want to know more about souls and the barrier. Why can't you help? Why do you have to hide? Your father wasn’t like that, was he? You can’t remember. You want to help. You finally have a friend and you are not about to lose them. Even if Sans doesn’t trust you, you want to help him. Millions of questions fill your head before they come to a halt.

‘’yer only here ‘cause of paps so don’ expect us to be buddies. my bro comes before yer safety so if it comes to that, i’m not hesitatin’ on feeding yeh to the wolves.’’

Chapter Text

Dinner time was less than perfect. The family ate in silence, only the occasional fork scraping against the plate or the twirling of the wet noodles resounded around the table. The doctor had cooked the boys a hearty meal of spaghetti, a meal they had almost every day. Papyrus sat next to Sans, farthest away from the doctor, while Sans begrudgingly sat between them as the father was seated at the head of the table. 

The royal scientist flipped through papers, taking a bite of the steaming pasta, composure nonchalant. Sans poked at his meal before, for the millionth time, glancing at their father. 

‘’You keep looking at me. What is the matter, son?’’ he questioned without looking away from his work. 

‘’don’ call me that,’’ Sans huffed under his breath, not even bothering to answer, just continuing his assault on the innocent noodles. 

Papyrus peered at his two family members nervously, not wanting a fight to start. On top of the panic of having to hide Y/n in their closet, he really didn’t want another argument to begin. He didn’t quite understand why his brother confronted their dad all the time. He was their dad after all even if he was a little mean, right?

Quickly downing his food, he got up to go rinse his plate, quietly thanking their dad. 

‘’Papyrus.’’ He froze, plate in hand, shoulders stiff. Turning swiftly, he saw their father eyeing him coldly. 

‘’Y-Yes?’’

‘’I do not care for any games you two have been playing but never again leave the house a mess. I do not tolerate such actions, alright?’’ the doctor spoke with a snarl, eyes looking down at the poor, shaking skeleton. Papyrus quickly nodded, wide-eyed, hands gripping the plate tightly.

He gritted his teeth, seeming to be thinking. ‘’As a punishment for disobeying the rules, neither of you will be receiving dinner until I say so. Your mistake cost us precious work hours so see to it that the house is spotless each day and you might get leftovers.’’

‘’wha’? he did nothin’! ya can’ do that!’’ Sans stood up, knocking over his chair in a haste. ‘’yeh can’ just starve him to death!’’ Papyrus flinched.

Their father tsked, shaking his head. ‘’Sans, you are my children. I own you. It would do you well to listen.’’ 

By now the youngest skeleton was shaking in his boots, tears falling down his face. Sans was enraged. He can’t just starve them into submission! His other eyelight was gone as the other glowed fiercely in the poorly lit living area. 

‘’ya. don’. own. us!’’ he screamed, his teeth grinding against each other harshly. 

The royal scientist’s eyes darkened, face falling into a chilling smirk.

‘’Oh? You know how much harsher I could be, lest you forget I have collars for you . Is that what you want? Huh? For me to collar your brother. Show everyone who is in charge.’’ His words hung over them like a ton of knives. The one thing Sans had been glad for about their father was that he never collared them. It was done to own someone. To have a pet. A slave. He never wanted that for his brother.

The father tilted his head tauntingly. ‘’Huh? Did you want me to whip you two into proper shape? To make pets out of my sons?’’ His face fell into a scowl when Sans just kept looking down at his tattered shoes. ‘’Answer me when you’re spoken to!’’

Sans felt like he was swallowing a boulder as he finally looked back up at the doctor. ‘’no…’’ 

The tallest skeleton just scoffed. ‘’You want your brother to eat again? Then do as I say.’’ 

The two stared into each other's eyes, scoping out their feelings. Their dad was always unreadable, or more like always disappointed and angry. Nothing more to him than that. 

‘’Umm… We- We’ll do better, dad,’’ Papyrus’s trembling voice sounded from the kitchen entrance. If he had skin, his knuckles would be as white as bone with how hard he’s gripping the plate. Tears had dried, leaving streaks down his face. Wanting to get out of the situation, he turned and rinsed his plate. Once he sauntered over to the table, Sans was long gone, leaving him alone with his dad, who has returned back to his work like nothing happened. 

Contemplating on leaving, he needed to ask his father, ‘’D-Did you mean that? That y-you’d c-collar us?’’ He wasn’t sure if he really even wanted to know.

‘’If it comes to that, I will not hesitate. Do not give me a reason for it, Papyrus,’’ 

*

You had been reading a book on some science stuff, that your small child’s brain couldn’t quite comprehend, when Sans appeared on his bed, muttering to himself. His eyelights flickered in and out of existence, making the room feel cold. You unconsciously pull Papyrus’s red scarf around you to shelter you from the cold and anything the older skeleton might throw at you, not that a scarf would do much if he decided to attack you. 

You’re sitting by the open closet door, ready to sprint in if need be. Biting the inside of your cheek, eyes darting around, you wait for Papyrus to scramble into the bedroom. Waiting for the door to click shut, you finally dare to speak, ‘’Is he okay?’’ You tilt your head towards the brooding skeleton.

‘’Oh, umm… Y-Yes, nothing happened!’’ Papyrus blurts out, unconvincingly. You decide not to pry from him. 

He checks on his brother, talking quietly, before coming to sit beside you, glancing at the book in your hand. ‘’T-That’s Sans’s book. H-He w-works with d-dad because he’s really smart.’’ He beams at you.

‘’Really?’’ He nods eagerly. ‘’I’m not very good at math but I like art in school, though.’’ 

‘’Wowie! You m-must so s-smart.’’ 

You chuckle, scrunching your face, ‘’Not really. I just like drawing.’’ You stroke the corner of a page that had drawn you in. It had a depiction of an hourglass-looking wormhole. You didn’t understand it at all but you liked scrolling through all the pictures. 

Both of you sat in silence, Sans’s murmuring had ended and only the soft sound of the shower running was heard. Except right then the loudest growl from your stomach decided to announce itself. Your face grows red.

‘’Y-You must be hungry!’’ Papyrus shoots up. Bashfully rubbing your neck, you nod. He’s about to run out of the room before he halts, stroking his chin. ‘’But…’’ he trails off.

At that moment Sans reaches under his mattress and pulls out a pack of instant noodles, chucking it at you. You fumble, barely catching it. 

‘’eat it and be quiet. monsters have better hearin’ than ya think.’’ 

Nodding quickly, you rip open the faded package before crunching down on the dry noodles. Not much of a meal but you’re still grateful. 

‘’Sans! Y-You have food in your bed?’’ Papyrus comes to stand in front of his brother, hands on his hips. 

Sans shrugs. ‘’not much, paps. not enough fer yer buddy to survive on at least.’’

The younger brother seemed to be deep in thought as you eagerly munched on your noodles like it was your last meal. Could be with the way Sans is talking. 

‘’Well-’’ Sans shoots a look at you to shut up. You bite down on your lips to not say anything. 

A lightbulb goes off in Papyrus’s head. ‘’We can s-smuggle food in for you! We- We can’t have dinner but we can still eat other times.’’ 

‘’Wait, you can’t have dinner?’’ you blurt out without thinking. Sans throws a pillow at you, which hits you right in the head. Oops. 

‘’Huh, dinner? F-Forget what I s-said! I s-said nothing! Nobody said anything! Umm… smuggling! R-Right?’’ he babbles on, wringing his hands together. You frown at his antics, stopping mid-bite. 

To Papyrus’s delight, and to your dismay, Sans comes to the rescue. ‘’smugglin’, huh? yeh gonna become a little thief there, paps? didn’ take ya for a crook.’’ He smirks at his flustered brother. 

‘’N-No, Sans!’’ he whines, a red blush glowing on his bony face.  ‘’I-I’m just helping my friend!’’

‘’ya sure? yeh don’ wanna become a hardened criminal?’’ Teasing his brother, Sans carelessly plops down, laying on his bed with an amused look as Papyrus fumbles around. ‘’Sans!’’

He just answers with a chuckle and closes his eyes. Papyrus huffs and turns to you. 

‘’W-We should make a bed f-for you. I-I’m sorry the closet is kind of small,’’ he says, tilting his head down, fidgeting with his bony phalanges. You’re about to reassure him to soothe his nerves but you shoot a glance at the other skeleton and decide against it, deciding to just pat his erratic hands. He seems to calm a little as he gives you a thankful smile. 

Both of you start gathering pillows and blankets from before, piling them into the closet, creating a cozy little nook for you to stay in for the nights. He had mentioned that their dad never came into their room unless it was urgent so there would be no need for the bone wall. He had blushed terribly when you whispered, against Sans’s rule, how cool his magic was.

Papyrus was returning with a raggy stuffed bunny when you fervently pointed at your socks. He dropped the bunny on a plush pillow before questioningly looking at you. ‘’Huh?’’ You frowned, biting your lower lip in frustration, tugging on your wet sock. 

‘’Oh, do you need s-socks?’’ You eagerly nodded.

He hurries right outside the closet before returning with a pair of yellow socks. ‘’D-Don’t worry, these a-aren’t from Sans’s sock mountain. I t-thought you’d like y-yellow.’’ He referred to your yellow-orange shirt, handing you the socks. You throw your wet ones by your feet. You mouth a thank you to him with a grateful grin, feeling a bit better now that your feet started to warm up.

‘’Do you need a-anything else?’’ Papyrus stands at the entrance, looking around the small closet, checking over everything to make sure you’re as comfy as possible. You shake your head. 

As he’s about to leave you raise your hand, realizing something. You remove the red scarf carefully from around you before holding it out for him. He takes it with the warmest smile on his face, thanking you quietly. ‘’Goodnight, Y/n.’’

You get comfortable in your little den, the light shining in through a small crack in the door that Papyrus left half-open. You hear small feet clacking against the floor as the small skeleton goes to close the lights, leaving you in total darkness. You begin to drift off almost immediately, the adrenaline of the day starting to wear off its effect. 

*

To your surprise you woke up in the small closet in the morning, blankets bundled up by your feet. You had almost expected to wake up in your own bed in Ebott, making all of this just a dream. You rub your bleary eyes, yawning. It feels like you slept for a thousand years but you’re still exhausted nonetheless. 

The house is quiet, and cold. You pull the blankets back around you, shivering slightly. Thankfully your clothes have dried out in the night but you’re still only wearing a t-shirt and shorts. You hug the old bunny stuffie close to you. You had one of those at home. You called him Bob the bunny much to your mother’s dismay. She always thought it should have a cuter name like Buttons or Rosie. No, you liked Bob. 

The thought of home made your heart feel heavy, you clenched the bunny in your arms tighter. Mom was all alone. She must miss you. Right? You’re all she has. You didn’t have siblings even though you always wanted one. Your dad… 

Your lower lip wobbles at the thought of your father as tears brim your eyes. You push your head in the blankets. Sniffling quietly, you force the thoughts out of your head as you remember your predicament. You can’t go home. You wish this was all a dream. 

Suddenly the door bursts open, making you tense up, thinking you’re going to be in trouble. 

‘’G-Good morning, Y/n! Did you have g-good dreams?’’ Papyrus exclaims by the door, having a bright smile on his face. You quickly wipe your face with the blanket, leaving no trace of crying.

You smile back at him, ‘’Morning, Papy-’’ You clamp your hand on your mouth, eyes going wide. You weren’t supposed to talk! What if he heard? 

As if realizing what you’re thinking, Papyrus quickly diminishes your ideas, ‘’Oh- Oh! D-Dad’s not home! H-He leaves really early everyday so i-it’s okay to talk.’’ 

Slowly removing your hand from your mouth, you whisper, ‘’Yeah? We’re all alone?’’ He nods. Relief flushes over you as you let out a breath you didn’t know you were holding. 

In a haste, you’ve pushed the covers off you and you’re out of the stuffy closet. You didn’t realize how small and tight it actually felt until you’re taking deep breaths in the middle of the bedroom with the small skeleton looking at you a bit weird. 

‘’A-Are you okay?’’ he mumbles, worried like he’s done something wrong. 

You chuckle nervously, ‘’Umm… yes! Just- Yes, I’m good.’’ 

Papyrus gives you a puzzled look, about to say something but you’re saved by your stomach growling once again. Thank you, tummy!

‘’Oh! We should go eat. I-I wanted to have breakfast with y-you,’’ he says with a faint blush, giving you a bashful smile before pulling you with him to go downstairs. 

On your way down, you finally take time to look around without the looming fear of being found. The green couch sticks out like a sore thumb against the maroon-colored walls. It has some tears in it that have been patched up with some red thread. A window with black curtains covering is centered above it. Facing the sofa is the tv with its tv-stand. You can see what looks to be a dvd-player in the little crevice of the stand with a small pile of movies. The family portrait hung up by the stairs, has Papyrus, Sans and a tall man with scars running across his face. That must be their father. 

He looks scary. 

Papyrus sits you at the dining table, which indeed has a rock on a plate by the corner, before going into the small kitchen to fetch some food for the two of you. You keep looking around the room. It’s very tidy after yesterday’s mess. The counters are basically shining with no sign of dust or dirt. You hoped you had been able to help with the clean up after all it was your fault. 

You suddenly hear a yelp and a thud. You instantly stand up to enter the kitchen where you see the small skeleton on the floor. Helping him up, you curiously question, ‘’Why were you on the floor?’'

He ponders for a moment with a frown on his face before pointing at the fridge. ‘’I… I can’t get it o-open.’’ 

‘’Huh?’’ You grab the handle and yank it but to your surprise, it doesn’t budge. ‘’Is it locked?’’ Both of you scratch your heads at the sight. There is no lock. 

‘’W-Well, maybe we h-have something else,’’ Papyrus concedes, going for the high cabinet next to them but it also doesn’t move an inch. Something is off. Neither are locked but they can’t be glued shut, right? That would be a pretty cruel prank.

You end up trying all the cabinets, most of them open except the ones you need. The ones with food. Your belly does a loud growl, making you whine and rub circles on it. Not so thankful for that tummy now, are we? 

The frown on Papyrus’s face gets bigger as he wrings his hands together, looking ready to cry. You place a comforting hand on his shoulder before remembering Sans’s hidey hole. ‘’Sans’s bed!’’ 

He looks at you with realization. ‘’O-Of course! How could I-I forget?’’ The two of you rush up the stairs and into the room. Papyrus is the one who digs under the mattress, telling you no friend of his should have to dig in his brother’s bed.

That is how the two of you end up on the living room couch, sharing a bowl of steaming noodles, and watching a show that your friend enjoys. Its star is a square metal robot with arms and a wheel it moves on, Mettaton. The robot seemed pretty dramatic and egoistic but you didn’t mind much as the both of you enjoyed each other's company.

The two of you ate in silence, slurping down the noodles eagerly to ease your growling tummies, every now and then exchanging comments on the show that had a cooking section going on. Watching someone, even an egotistical robot, cook when starving was most likely not the best idea as the two of you basically drooled at the sight of food. 

‘’That looks so yummy,’’ you whined, pointing at the tv. 

‘’W-We could make it o-one day,’’ he looked at you expectantly. 

You glanced at him. ‘’Yeah? That would be fun! I used to make the best pies with my dad.’’ Gloomily smiling by yourself, the thought of your father being bittersweet. Papyrus looked at you curiously, almost sadly.

‘’Your d-dad? M-Mine doesn’t bake with us… Sans always h-helps me out. Was- Was he nice? …Is he like mine?’’

You frown, thinking for a moment. ‘’He- He was good.’’ You nod to yourself, continuing, ‘’We’d make a different pie every sunday and then we’d have a picnic. Sometimes we’d go to the beach or the park but my favorite was the mountain. It was always so much fun.’’ Thinking about those happy memories of going to the park for a picnic or having a food fight during baking, filled you with warmth. 

‘’H-He sounds nice. I-I wish my dad would do all those w-with us but h-he’s very… busy.’’ Sadly looking down, he starts wringing his hands again, creating a grating noise. 

Gnawing at your lower lip, you place your small hand on his fidgeting hands, trying to calm his mind. He lets out a puff of air, shoulders relaxing. The two of you just sit quietly, only the sound of the tv echoing in the room. 

*

I hate this.

Sans’s head rested on his bony hand. He was sitting on a tattered office chair in one of the examination rooms, dozing off. The doctor had woken him up earlier than usual, muttering about getting back precious work hours and from now on only sleep what is necessary. It didn’t help that Sans had stayed up all night to have an eye on the human child. They gladly hadn’t attempted anything in the dead of night but he still didn’t exactly trust them. 

The floor had dust scattered all over it. Yet another one . Gaster's hand had slipped during the procedure causing their soul to fail. He had then flipped the table, making dust fly everywhere before striking Sans, yet again, and storming off. 

Well, that’s what you get for ignoring your sons’ basic needs. 

After sighing and rubbing his tired sockets, he got up to sweep the dust to a garbage disposal. A grand way to go. He cringed at the feel of dust beneath his sneakers. Grabbing the ratty old broom, he started to clear the remains with little hesitation. 

As he was crossing the room to sweep out a corner, a crash sounded throughout the lab, causing Sans to drop the broom with a flinch. He curled in on himself unconsciously, cowering away from the door of the examination room. A few more low bangs reached his ears, flinching each time, before there was nothing. His body was rigid as he waited to hear another bang or yell. 

No sound came though. His skeletal body slowly relaxing, he let out a shaky breath before reaching down for the broom, wanting to finish cleaning quickly to get out of the sterile room.

The tall figure stormed into his office. Another patient dust. He let out a growl, before sending papers and gadgets flying off his table in anger. His black lab coat-clad body rose with heavy breaths as he stared down the large screen, showing yet another failed experiment of his. 

Eyes aflame, he throws one of the metal tables with a loud crash across the room, multiple glass beakers breaking in the process. Face in an ugly snarl, his teeth grind against each other in an almost painful manner. 

A sharp glowing bone forms next to him before it plunges into the screen behind him. Small cracks start appearing on it, slowly traveling across. It glitches with a sparkle of energy. 

The doctor looks back at the screen, aura basically fuming with rage. He summons multiple bones and dispenses them to pierce the screen. He can always fix it later. He can still fix this.

It’s not his fault his son is a failure. 

The room was in disarray; broken glass on the floor, papers and books flying everywhere, table on its side, and the screen was barely on anymore. It was dead silent as the royal scientist’s boiling hatred came back to a mere simmer. His face devoid of any expression, he bore his eyes on the chaos around him. 

He can still fix this. He has to.

*

Trial #14 fusion of a monster soul and a human soul was a failure. Patient 105’s condition declined quickly. The human soul was not able to be recovered. Experiment failed.

Sans sighed as he wrote down yet another failed trial. The doctor’s going to be relentless after this one. They haven’t been succeeding lately in their - his - experiments. It’s only so long until the king refuses to give any more human souls. He’s probably already turning down any offers from the doctor from the way he’s acting. Not that Sans cared but he had to keep the doc happy so that Papyrus could be safe and sound. 

Speaking of, Sans liked to keep tabs on him while he was at the lab. He’d gifted the younger skeleton a phone when he started working with the royal scientist which came in handy for times like these where he wasn’t able to keep an eye on one particular human child. 

PAPS

(x-xxx-xxxx)

Big bro: everythin’ good, paps?

PAPS: Yes! We watched MTT, did puzzles and and played with action figures! Y/n’s so cool and nice!

Big bro: aww, am i no’ yer best buddy anymore?

PAPS: Of course you are! But now I have two best buddies! 

PAPS: Hopefully! :D

Big bro: ya wound me, bro. ‘kay, i’ll be home in a few hours. be safe and don’ go outside again.

PAPS: I promise! Have fun!

Sans tapped the phone against his forehead thoughtfully. Maybe this arrangement won’t turn out so bad afterall?

Chapter Text

It was the next day for you, no matter how unreal it felt. You had woken up with an aching, angry stomach from only eating a single packet of noodles the other day. You had grown flushed as Papyrus exclaimed how you must be starving and what a terrible host he was.

There was only one issue. The fridge wouldn’t budge. Neither did any of the cabinets. The two of you were scratching your heads, dumbfounded.

Standing in the middle of the kitchen, you look at the young skeleton beside you, just as confused as you are.

‘’Maybe it’s just jammed tight?’’

He hums, scratching his chin while inspecting the hinges closely. Looks normal enough to you but what do you know, you’re just a kid. 

‘’W-Well, maybe but…’’ 

The hair on your neck rises with a shiver as you feel Papyrus using his magic. You hadn’t seen him use magic after creating the wall of bones to protect you and it made you just as in awe if not more. 

A soft red glow surrounds the door of the fridge, slightly flickering under the harsh lighting of the kitchen. 

It tugs on the door, causing the box to leap towards the two of you with a deafening thud. You let out a small gasp, startling from the sudden movement. 

The fridge jolts forward a few more times before the red glow vanishes, the feeling of magic in the air dissolving, leaving you feeling a strange buzz.

Papyrus twists his fingers into the hem of his black shirt, frowning at the now-slightly-tilted fridge, mumbling under his breath, ‘’I-It should’ve o-opened…’’

You place a small hand on his shaking shoulder, feeling bad for the young skeleton. He turns to look at you with a quick, trembling smile, fingers tightening against his shirt. A frown settles on your face.

‘’We’ll try again later? M-Maybe your brother can help?’’ You question, giving his bony shoulder an encouraging squeeze even though the thought of asking the sharp-toothed skeleton dreaded you. 

Papyrus’s face lights up upon realization as he reaches into his pants pocket to fetch his phone.

A phone.

You stare at the black electronic as he texts, not hearing him ramble on about how he’ll just ask his brother immediately, long gone in your own thoughts of being able to reach your mother. You could’ve called her this entire time? You could’ve let her know you were safe? 

Your quivering hand falls from his shoulder, swinging down harshly as you close your eyes shut, breath becoming shallow. The air feels thick and forces you to gasp, gulping down a breath. Maybe this was a mistake.

No. It can’t be. Papyrus wouldn’t withhold such information from you, …right?

‘’H-Hey, Papyrus... Can I call my m-mom?’’ you ask shakily, eyes cast down on the phone. 

‘’M-Mom? Oh… Y-You can only call others in the U-Underground. I think…’’ He shakes the phone side to side, pondering. 

Your raised shoulders slump down in defeat. The flame inside you flickering, fading out.

‘’But w-we can try? Maybe it will reach her! I-I haven’t talked to humans before until you, it would be so c-cool to know two h-humans!’’ Excitedly, he urges you to take the phone.

Carefully dialing the number implanted in your head by your mother’s constant hankering, you hear the sound of the very familiar ringing, hand clutching the phone with desperation. 

Ring…

Ring…

Ring…

Beep! Beep! Beep!

You sigh, handing the phone back to Papyrus, letting out a small sniffle. You really were alone with no way out. 

*

Thump!

A large bin is swung on to an examination table, sending a cloud of dust flying into the stuffy room. Rubbing his hands on to the fabric of his shorts, Sans settles on to his designated seat; a flimsy office chair decorated with various stains. 

Grumbling under his breath, he lifts out the first of many different vials and jars and jots down onto a clipboard the name and amount, starting his treacherous journey of cataloging. 

Hours go by, Sans slowly sinking down the chair, head resting against his hand as he scribbles about. 

‘’we’re low on determination…’’ he mumbles, staring at the red liquid filled bottle in disgust. ‘’fuckin’ great. gon’ have to be on the lookout fo’ humans.’’

His thoughts go to you immediately. Paps would be heartbroken if he gave you up but it’s going to be risky hiding you if the King calls for a search again. All homes get ransacked during due to the King’s paranoia, no one dared to out right call him out for it though. He’s usually been able to grab his brother to the safety of the labs but traveling with a human would be a problem. 

Not his problem.

Except it is his problem. His brother was already bonding with you and if he just gave you to the King, there would be no reason for you to not tattle on them. Hiding a human was a death sentence for anyone. Even for children. 

He groaned, rubbing a hand across his face. He was just so tired from all of this no matter how much he tried to ignore it. The dark circles under his sockets, the tension in his shoulders, and the constant self-deprecating thoughts. 

He could just- 

The buzzing of his phone causes Sans to fumble with a vial, almost smashing it to pieces. 

‘’shit.’’ 

He dumps the glass object back on the table, and goes to reach for his phone. 

PAPS

(x-xxx-xxxx)

PAPS: When are you coming home?

Big bro: gonna be catalogin late today

Big bro: why? y/n causing problems?

PAPS: NO!

PAPS: But… 

Big bro: spit it out, paps

PAPS: Well, me and the human were hungry and wanted breakfast but nothing in the kitchen opens :(

Sans pauses the tapping of his finger against the tabletop. 

Cabinets’ been jammed shut? No… Papyrus would have realized to use magic by now.

He’d seen Gaster having his morning coffee today when he’d left for the labs, not wanting to waste another minute in the house with him, so the doors must have been fine a few hours ago. 

Unless… 

Could this be another one of his sick jokes? A ‘punishment’ for wasting his time? 

He ground his teeth together, chest heaving in anger and frustration. Not noticing another message popping up before tucking his phone away and storming out the door. 

In no time Sans swings the door of the storage open. The doctor just glances his way as he continues noting down his supplies.

‘’ya starvin him now? ‘cause he made a little mess? he’s a kid!’’ Sans yells out, eyes bursting with flame. 

No response.

Sans scoffs, ‘’really? ya not gonna even explain yourself? ya know, you’re a piece of work. a sick son of a-’’

‘’Are you quite done with your tantrum?’’ Gaster looks his way. His face cool with no guilt or remorse towards his distressed son. ‘’We have work to do and you’re not getting paid to dilly dally.’’

‘’ya don’ even pay me.’’ Sans grumbles under his breath, still heaving by the door. 

The tall doctor turns away from the supply shelf, looming over the teen. ‘’If Papyrus wishes to eat breakfast, he gets up when I do. The kitchen is under my lock and key. What I am wondering is, how you would come to know this now? Huh?’’

Tilting his head, he looks down at Sans who seems to find the floor more interesting. The doctor’s eyes catch his nervous twitching and sweat beads falling from his head. The air gets cooler as Gaster stares daggers into his skull.

Buzz!

Sans flinches from the vibrating coming from his coat pocket. He slowly peeks at his father, eyelights as small as pinpricks. Gaster’s gone still.

Before he knows it, the royal scientist has him pinned against the floor, the phone falling out from the depths of his pocket.

‘’What is this? You got some communication device to bring me down? To spy and record my work ? Huh?’’ Gaster grasps the phone tightly on skeletal hands. The phone creeks from the pressure. ‘’Answer me!’’

‘’n-no. no!’’ Sans shakes under his hold, breathing going haywire as he struggles to get the phone back. He can’t lose it. What if something’s wrong with Papyrus? What if he needs help?

‘’Then what? There is no reason for you to have this.’’ The doctor sneers at him before he crushes the phone against the hard floor, bits flying everywhere. Sans wails at the loss of the only device he had for reaching his brother.

‘’ Pathetic .’’

The doctor gets up, dusting himself off before picking up the abandoned clipboard. Clicking his pen in impatience, ‘’Get back to work, and never dare make such a mistake again.’’

Sans shakily pushes himself off the floor, looking at the fragments of his phone. Chest twisting in an uncomfortable way, he looks away from it, and leaves without a word.

*

It has been two weeks - you think. The three of you are slowly getting into the rhythm of things. 

You hide in the closet most of that time so as to not get caught by the royal scientist. Your clothes had to be thrown away due their brightness and color, you would stand out too much. So, now you share clothes with Papyrus. 

He seems to like having someone his age around, or anyone really. He keeps calling you his twin. 

It’s nice.

Papyrus stuffs food into his clothes during breakfast to bring some for you. He hasn’t been caught and hopefully never will be. During lunch the locks open and you get to eat together. Your stomach still rumbles after each meal but you’re grateful no matter what. You’re the one who fell.

Sans… 

He doesn’t do much other than throw threatening glares at you daily but he seems to be getting used to you, you think. You never truly know what’s going on inside his head due to the permanent grimace on his face now. 

At least you don’t have to spend any time with him. He scares you.

Today Papyrus is showing you how to make puzzles. You’ve learned that it’s one of his favorite hobbies to do when the rest of his family is gone. He’s told you that puzzles are a big deal in the Underground.

Well, they are different than what you imagined; more like traps. Not the colorful pictures you put together or crosswords you fill with your grandmother, but deathly traps to scare away any onlookers. 

Or humans.

Papyrus doesn’t think those are fun though. Too cruel, so he’s trying to come up with less deadly ‘puzzles’. You’re currently stuck in a bone maze he’s made in the living room.

‘’Papyrus! I don’t think anyone is gonna get through this. It’s too hard!’’ You pout, the bone walls surrounding you from all sides. 

‘’B-But that is the point! If the amazing human cannot make it through the maze then no one else will.’’ You hear him call out from somewhere behind you. ‘’I-If I can convince them to start using my puzzles then maybe no one will get hurt anymore.’’

You doubt an eight year old not getting through a maze is a good reference for his project but you don’t voice these thoughts.

You spin around at a crossroads and choose a random direction, your hands mindlessly dragging against the course bone. This was pretty fun but you had been at it for probably a half an hour already and Papyrus wasn’t letting you out easy.

‘’Could I get a hint? Please?’’ You whine while leaning against bone. ‘’I might just never find my way out!’’

Papyrus gasps. ‘’No! You mustn't get s-stuck! I’ll get you out!’’ 

The wall you’re leaning against suddenly disappears, making you fall on the hard ground. A groan leaving your mouth has the skeleton at your feet at an instant. 

‘’I’m okay. I’m okay.’’ You rub your sore bottom with a wince, waving at him to end his fretting. 

‘’I-I’ll get you a monster candy! I think S-Sans has some stocked somewhere.’’ And with that your friend is gone, leaving you in the middle of the room. 

The feeling of uneasiness fills you from being left alone. You’ve grown quite dependent on the two as they are the only reason you are safe. They’re the only reason their father hasn’t found you. Being all alone so close to the dangers of the Underground has you feeling panicked.

Your eyes flick to the clock, the time dawning on you. It’s almost 9. Your so-called curfew. The time the two usually came home from work. 

In your panicked state you almost trip on the stairs while you’re sprinting upstairs, even bumping into Papyrus as he’s exiting their bedroom. 

‘’O-oh! W-what’s wrong-’’ 

‘’It’s almost 9!’’

His eye lights shrink. He hadn’t been keeping track of time in the midst of their puzzle making.

Papyrus pulls you with him to clear out all the puzzles and word searches from the living room. If he was good and got in no trouble, there would be less of a chance of his dad finding out about you. 

‘’G-grab these and hide-’’

The front door opens.

Your heart rate picks up as you start to grow cold from fear. You feel Papyrus start shaking next to you. ‘’N-no…’’

A sense of relief goes through your body when just Sans walks through the door. Though that is gone in an instant as Sans’s eye lights disappear when he notices you. 

‘’what are ya still doing here?’’ His voice has a hint of panic as he rushes to you and grabs your arm harshly. 

Suddenly the world around goes dark for a second and it feels like someones pulling you underwater to drown you and you don’t have time to gasp for air. But as soon as it comes, it’s gone again. Leaving you sick and disoriented.

‘’stay here.’’ You hear Sans whisper at you from close to you but the words don’t register as your eyes start adjusting to your surroundings. You’re in your den, in the closet.

But-

You slap your hand over your mouth as the nausea hits you like a trainwreck. There could be nothing worse than puking all over yourself and your makeshift bed in a closed space. 

You barely hear any of the voices downstairs, making you realize how close of a call that was. You feel incredibly grateful for Sans even though you don’t quite understand what happened.

*

The snow crunches under a pair of sneakers as a certain skeleton teen walks the streets of Snowdin. His face is lowered to avoid any unwanted attention. Sans’s hands curl into fists in his jacket pockets to stop the trembling. He couldn’t sleep after everything. It was making his head pound.

A jingle rings as the door to the small shop opens. He shuffles to the side and slides inside through the crack.

Lanterns hang from the ceiling, swaying lightly with the outside air as the door closes behind him. A rabbit monster looks up from the counter as the familiar kid gets closer.

‘’So. What you got tonight for me?’’ She leans against the counter to look down at Sans.

His hands rub against the few gold coins he has in his pocket. ‘’l-look… i ain’t got much right now. could i just get anythin’ with this?’’ He pushes the money towards the clerk. He had snatched some from one of his… patients. Not that they’d need it anymore.

She scoffs. ‘’ Look , kid. If you don’t have anything extra you ain’t even getting a tem flake with that.’’

‘’i’ll get ya extra from the dump next time.’’ He’s starting to sound pathetic, having to beg for food for his little brother when his dad can’t be bothered to feed his family. 

The bunny sighs. ‘’Sans. Unless you bring me more gold, you ain’t getting nothing tonight. You know, some people have to feed their families.’’

Sans grits his teeth together. Oh, doesn’t he know.

He scoops the coins back in his pocket and leaves without a word. 

The trail back to the house isn’t long enough. His hands shake in his pockets and the feeling of anxiety returns tenfold. He shortcuts inside so as to not alert Gaster.

The skeleton rips away the jacket and throws it on the dresser that is standing next to the cracked closet door. He peeks a look at the sleeping human. Their face is squished against a pillow as they are curled in a ball that could resemble a pile of clothes on a quick glance. 

What have they gotten themselves into?

Your eyes flutter open as you hear someone shuffling across the floor but the lights are still off and it seems to be night. Can’t be Papyrus, right?

You hear the bed creaking under weight followed by a groan.

That is definitely Sans.

Your body tenses as you silently listen to the sound of bone scraping against bone. You hadn’t seen him after he dumped you in the closet, too scared to leave. Papyrus had checked on you after the scare but you were still pretty shaken up.

The minutes seem to drag on as you wait for any sign of him falling asleep but it never comes. It starts to feel like he’s just waiting for you to leave the closet. Just waiting for you to make a mistake.

Your body feels tired but it feels like your mind is awake. You hug the blanket closer to yourself as you stare at the slightly cracked door of the closet, almost afraid to blink.

That night is sleepless for the both of you as you both stare at the same door.

Chapter Text

It has been three weeks now, you think, and you are craving fresh air. Sans has dodged all questions and ideas related to it. Papyrus hasn't been much help as he listens to his brother with all his heart and doesn't want you to get hurt, but at this point you're starting to get frustrated.

You glare at the curtain covered window, you're not allowed to even open them in case of any peeping toms. You couldn't handle being inside four walls any longer. You had to figure out a way to sneak outside.

It may be a dumb idea but you believe it to be worth it. 

It’s nighttime and you’ve been sitting in the closet for a few hours, waiting for the skeletons to fall asleep. You take a peek at them, only to find Sans nowhere to be seen. You frown as you crawl further out of the closet but he seems to be gone. 

You get up carefully and tiptoe to the bunkbed to check on the younger skeleton. Waving a hand in front of him, he’s fully asleep. 

No going back, I guess.

The hallway of the upper level of the house is dark and silent. You pray that the tall skeleton is also deep asleep in the room next door.

Your legs tremble as you take quick but silent steps downstairs, feeling the anticipation as the front door enters your vision. You stop to look around the living room and kitchen, wondering where the older skeleton is. He certainly isn’t having a midnight snack as the cabinets are still locked with magic.

Huh.

You just shrug it off as him taking a nightly stroll or being in the bathroom. Which means no time to lose.

Rushing to the door as quiet as you can, you grab the handle of the door to give it a jiggle. 

Locked.

There looks to be no lock to twist nor a keyhole. You huff out a breath as your excitement dwindles and your arm lets go of the knob to swing by your side only to be grabbed tightly by sharp claws.

You let out an audible gasp.

‘’the hell do ya think yar doing?’’ A gruff voice speaks from behind you. 

You rotate around to face the missing skeleton, who’s still gripping your arm tightly. Your mouth opens to answer, only to let out a stuttering, ‘’O-out.’’

Your body is stiff and you feel like a deer caught in headlights as Sans’s red eyes stare you down. He smells vaguely of- sewers? 

‘’ya trying to get us killed? huh?’’ He gnarls, his claws digging into your skin painfully. 

‘’N-no.’’ You exclaim. ‘’I just wanted some air.’’ You start feeling guilty for not even thinking of the consequences if you did get caught. You hadn’t been outside since the day you fell. Who knows how many monsters could be waiting right outside the door. 

Sans scoffs and lets go of your arm. ‘’idiot. go back to bed.’’ He stuffs his hands into his pockets while eyeing you with a strange expression. He seems really tired.

You decide to comply to not cause any ruckus and accidentally wake the father. So, you return to the bedroom with Sans right behind you. 

He immediately plops down on his bed and just lays there with his sockets closed as you hesitate to go back in the closet. His body seems to almost melt into the mattress as he relaxes noticeably. Oh, to sleep in a bed again. Your body ached each morning you uncurled yourself from your small den. 

Sans opens one of his sockets to find you still awkwardly standing there.

‘’what ya standin there for? i ain’t singing ya lullabies.’’ 

‘’I- That thing you did a week ago. What was it?’’ You fidget with the sleeve of your shirt, nervous about talking with Sans one on one for the first time since the beginning.

‘’if ye think i’m gonna know what yer talking about, ye must be dumber than i thought.’’

‘’I’m not dumb.’’ You pout. ‘’It’s just… you came home and then we were in the bedroom in a blink of an eye. H-how?’’

He hums. ‘’ah, that. took ya long ‘nough.’’ He scratches his chin. ‘’it’s shortcutting. or that’s what we call it.’’ He closes his eyes again, looking content, as if that explains everything.

‘’So, it’s teleporting? Can Papyrus do it too?’’ You question, leaning in a little bit.

‘’yep, and ‘m the only one who can do it.’’

‘’That’s really cool. It’s like you’re a superhero!’’ You give him a toothy smile, reminded of those weekend movie nights you had with your dad. He knew just about everything when it came to superheroes. Who knew you’d be actually meeting one!

‘’shut up! i ain’t no superhero.’’ He growls out, turning his skull away to hide the red littering his cheeks. 

Despite the whispered yelling, Papyrus remains fast asleep on the top of the bunk bed, seemingly used to loud voices unlike you.

‘’B-but couldn’t you take me outside? Just for a bit!’’ You beg.

‘’no.’’

‘’Please, please, please!’’

He pulls his blanket to cover his skull, ignoring your pleads.

‘’Pleaseeee!’’ You put on your whiniest voice.

Sans lets out a sigh before pushing the blanket away and throwing his legs over the bed. ‘’fine but shut yer piehole. if we get caught, yer a goner.’’

You nod, practically vibrating from the excitement. 

‘’and don’ puke on me.’’ He sneers with disgust. He holds out his hand. You look from his face to the hand hesitantly. You’ve never actually touched him when he’s not threatening you.

‘’c’mon, i have to touch ya to shortcut wit someone. i ain’t offerin for long.’’

With that you grab his skeletal hand. It feels soft but scarred against your small hand. 

The feeling of being sucked out of air returns as the world goes blank. Your other hand comes to find Sans in your panic, you hold onto his shirt.

You appear in a dark area lit by blue glowing flowers and a rushing waterfall. The air feels humid but you prefer it to the musty closet. 

‘’Where are we?’’ Legs shaking under you, your hold on Sans tightens. You shake your head, trying to get rid of your spinning vision. 

‘’waterfall.’’ He answers simply. 

Stomach churning, you decide to sit down on the soft grass, letting go of Sans in the process. You take deep breaths, settling your tummy.

‘’surprised ya didn’ puke yer first time.’’ He suddenly mentions.

‘’Was I supposed to?’’

‘’paps did.’’

You let out a chuckle by accident. ‘’R-really?’’ You can just imagine the poor skeleton heaving over his big brother. Apologizing over and over, and yelling about how yucky it is.

‘’yep. he’s hated it eve’ since.’’ Sans eye lights light up as he talks about his brother. You see daily how much they both love and care for each other. You wish you had that. 

After that the two of you silence, just the pleasant sound of the waterfall echoing through the rocky walls. Looking down at the stream flowing past you, you dip your hand into the water. It feels cool against your hand as you swish the water around.

‘’Thank you for bringing me here, Sans.’’ You finally break the silence. He just stands next to you, looking around. ‘’Me and dad used to go on picnics in parks and the woods. I remember one of my favorite spots had a stream like this one. He’d always splash the water on me and get me soaked. Mom didn’t like it though; she would always scold us after.’’

Playing with the water, you zone out, forgetting about your surroundings. You take a deep breath, guessing you won’t be able to come back in a while. You’ll be stuck in the closet, hiding from their dad again with no way to leave. The feeling of despair fills you.

‘’Do you think I’ll get back to my family?’’ You ask, making Sans startle. You guess he must’ve been zoning out too. 

‘’don’ know. now shut up! i don’ wanna be found ‘cause ye’re being sappy.’’ He grumbles, seeming quite uncomfortable as he shuffles in his spot, looking anywhere but at you. 

‘’Okay.’’ You whisper.

You don’t know how much time passes but you end up feeling better than you have in the past weeks. Practically feeling your anxieties and fears melting away as you start feeling drowsy. Your eyes closing every now and then, making you nod off.

Sans grunts. ‘’’s been long enoug’. hold on.’’ 

Without another word, the world spins again as you appear back in the bedroom, Papyrus still blissfully unaware of your little trip. 

You barely remember anything after that as you wake up carefully tucked in in Sans’s bed.

*

Gaster pushes a cart full of needles, scalpels, and other cruel tools, closer to the examination table, where an unconscious snowdrake is strapped. A monitor beside him is beeping at a steady rate. 

Grabbing a needle, he inserts it in a glass bottle of an unknown liquid, drawing a small amount of it. He moves the feathers of the monster around before finding a fleshy part to push the needle into. The liquid absorbs into the snowdrake, glowing under the skin before fading away.

The doctor throws the used needle into a biohazard bin, throws away his gloves and sits down with a clipboard to see for any reactions. The strong beat of their soul continues with no issue. 

He hums as he pulls out the monster’s soul, it glowing under the harsh lighting of the surgery room. The snowdrake makes a groan of discomfort. 

The soul appears to be healthy with some cracks and nicks covering the surface. It trembles when Gaster pokes and prods at it, his sharp talons digging into the almost jelly-like magic. 

When nothing out of the ordinary happens and the soul seems stable, he grabs another pair of gloves to cover his skeletal hands, the rubber bands snapping on his wrists. He grabs a red liquid filled bottle from the cart with a new needle before piercing the seal with it. 

The doctor summons the soul closer, lowering a surgical light, and he stabs the sharp object into the soul. The snowdrake starts shaking on the table as the liquid gets pushed into their soul. Their eyes open from the intrusion but their body is paralyzed from the unknown liquid from earlier.

Pulling out the needle from the upside-down heart and throwing it yet again in the bin, he waits for the swirls of red to absorb into the soul with a pen in hand, uninterested in the whines and cries coming from the monster below.

The sounds seem to go on forever as he awaits for them to stop moving. To stop resisting. 

19… 20… 21…

He taps the pen against the wooden clipboard to stay focused on the time through the sound of hyperventilating and thrashing. They let out a gurgling yelp before going limp. Their soul continues to beat, although weaker.

Checking on the inverted heart, he pulls out an electric tool, a scanner, to see their stats and the state of their soul. The tool beeps and numbers appear on the small screen.

LV 2. HP 6. ATK 3. DEF 0.

Their stats, except for the LV, have lowered which he expected but they’re still going strong. 

‘’Hmm. Not as weak as I thought.’’ Gaster fills in their information before getting a closer look at their soul.

You could see tendrils of bright red magic swirling in the depths of their otherwise white soul. The red was calm as it seemed to move in harmony with this soul.

It worked… IT WORKED!

Gaster’s mouth twitches as it grows a maniacal grin, his eye lights twinkling at the success of his experiment. He lets out a guttural cackle that booms throughout the labs, his broad shoulders shaking.

Oh, this is perfect!

He storms out of the surgical room, lab coat flying behind him with grace. The doctor walks into Sans’s office, a closet.

‘’Go to room 17 to be on lookout for patient 110. I will be in my office if anything is to happen to them.’’ With a snap of a finger, Sans is gone.

Gaster gets to his office to look over reports from other patients.

Patient 54 injection of the Patience soul. Termination after 3 days.

Patient 76 injection of the Justice soul. Stats stable. Update: Survived 8 days before dusting from suicide.

Flipping through papers, he frantically looks for survivors of human soul injections. 

It’s been failure after failure but could this be the breakthrough they’ve been looking for? Years of trial and error, could this be it? 

Could this be they’re way out of the Underground?

*

Papyrus always woke up early in the morning, ready for the day. Even though he wasn’t allowed out of the house. But he’d try his best to make the most of it from cleaning the same dishes over and over to solving every puzzle in the book. 

Today he was faced with a peculiar but exciting sight.

You!

You were curled up in a ball, drooling all over Sans’s pillow. The dirty clothes that had been littering the bed, are now covering the floor. Presumably to make it comfier for you to sleep in.

How exciting! His brother was finally starting to like you!

When you let out a small snore, Papyrus whips his head to the door, worried about his dad walking in. A minute goes by with no booming steps. He wipes his metaphorical sweat off his brow with a sigh of relief.

Sans must be keeping him busy.

He trods downstairs to indeed find him on the couch nodding off, and their dad enjoying a morning cup of coffee while, as usual, flipping through his work.

‘’Morning!’’ Papyrus pipes up as he skips over to feed their pet rock from the designated rock food jar that his brother had gotten him. It’s confetti but don’t tell him that.

‘’mornin’, kid.’’ Sans yawns, walking over to him and rubbing the younger skeleton’s skull tenderly, who happily lets out a little chirp before skittering to the kitchen for his mischief.

Well, more like hide some toast in his ribs for you, and a simple bowl of dry cereal for him. 

Looking nonchalant, as if he wasn’t bones full of toast, he goes to sit facing his father.

‘’What’s got you so perky today?’’ Gaster suddenly asks without looking away from his work, startling Papyrus.

‘’O-oh! Just r-really hungry.’’ He gulps, and gives their dad a nervous smile, that the other doesn’t see. He could feel his breath get stuck in his throat. He was never one to lie.

Gaster gives a disinterested hum.

Papyrus doesn’t wait for a proper answer as he starts scarfing down the cereal as fast as he can, wanting to go back to the safety of their bedroom. His shoulders tense up when Gaster gets up. 

From the corner of his eye, he watches him retreat to the kitchen. 

The air feels suffocating for the poor skeleton. The tense silence bothers him much. He isn’t supposed to be afraid of his own father, he pesters himself. 

Shaking away the troubled thoughts, he finishes his dry meal and goes to clean the dishes, where his father seems to be waiting.

‘’Papyrus.’’ Said skeleton looks up at his incredibly tall dad.  ‘’We’ll be working late tonight, so be good and don’t get into any trouble.’’

‘’O-okay. But w-why? You already w-work so late.’’ Papyrus pouts. His brother doesn’t tell him much of what they do at the lab but he doesn’t like how it’s affecting them.

Gaster squints his eyes at the little child standing by his feet, sighing in annoyance. ‘’Are you questioning the King? You know that would get our family into trouble.”

Papyrus shakes his head rapidly. He just wants his family to be happy… Is that so much to ask for?

‘’Then be a good boy and go back to your bedroom. Cabinets open at 1 and 8 again, if you wish to not go hungry.’’

He gives a silent nod, moving to clean his dishes. He can hear Sans mumbling to dad but the sound of the water running covers it. 

Before long Sans comes to say his goodbyes to him with a hug and a pat to the head. 

‘’don’ have a phone for ya ye’ but stay inside. ‘kay?’’ he says in a low voice. Papyrus hums, hugging him tighter, not wanting to let him go. 

That goes on for a minute longer since Gaster decides to yell from the door for the other. ‘’Sans! We leave now.’’

The said skeleton pushes Papyrus’s hands away with a bit of force. 

‘’sorry. gotta go, bro. love ya. be good.’’ He rushes after Gaster, leaving the younger brother behind in the dead silent house.

Papyrus clutches his striped shirt, his body shaking as tears threaten to spill out from his red sockets. A stifled cry comes out but he tries to keep himself together. His legs trembling, he walks to the front door but stops himself from opening it and running after Sans.

It’s as if the floodgates open and a sob after sob leaves his mouth. The red tears fall down his face which the boy tries to stop by rubbing his cheeks with the sleeves of his shirt. But the tense environment of their household is taking its toll on the poor skeleton. He collapses on his knees on the floor, grabbing at his chest as he hyperventilates, toast falling out of his chest in the process. 

What’s happening?

‘’S-San- P-Please…’’ Papyrus stutters desperately. His body is filled with fear and panic as he’s confused why his body can’t seem to stop. On why he feels like he’s dying. He needs his brother.

‘’P-please…’’

But nobody hears him.

*

Rubbing his red tears on the sleeve of his shirt, Papyrus eventually ventures, toast in-hand, upstairs to his door. Gathering himself with a deep breath, he knocks on the door to alert you of his presence. What if you were changing? How awkward that would be!

He sways from side to side as he counts to fifty before opening the door and stepping in. The closet door was closed and the bed empty.

‘’It’s me, Y/n.’’ He calls out with an unstable voice. 

The door creaks as you peek out from the darkness. ‘’H-hi…’’

Papyrus shakes the stack of toast in the air.

‘’G-got you breakfast. S-sorry it’s not a lot.’’ He apologizes, handing you your meal and sitting on the floor next to you.

‘’Oh, it’s fine. I slept really well last night so nothing can stop me now!’’ You say to push away his worries. It’s the least you could for him for how much he’s done for you. 

‘’I saw! Sans likes you!’’ Papyrus lights up as he sits up straighter in his spot, his fists shaking in excitement.

Your face heats as you look away in embarrassment, stuffing your mouth full of the dry bread. ‘’I don’t know…’’ You mumble out. The doughy clump moves down your throat slowly, making you feel the need to cough.

‘’Could I have water?’’ You ask, gladly changing the subject from the grumpy skeleton to anything else.

‘’O-of course!’’ Papyrus jumps up and runs downstairs in a rush, the good host he is.

You look at the open door in thought. Something feels different… 

It’s probably nothing! You did just wake up, so your head must still be asleep.

In no time the young skeleton returns with a nice cold glass of water to make the food go down better.

‘’Much better! Thank you, Paps!’’ You smile brightly. You feel like you need to fill in the silence, he seems more quiet today. He returns a smile.

‘’Y-you're welcome.’’

‘’What’s the plan for today?’’

‘’Umm. I-I don’t know. S-sorry…’’

You frown at the fidgeting child. His hands are wringing into his red scarf as his eyes flit around. You haven’t seen him like this many times. Something must’ve happened. You scoot closer to him, placing a hand on his bony shoulder.

‘’Are you… okay?’’

He jumps, startled.

‘’I-I’m okay!’’ Papyrus squeaks ‘’It’s nothing! P-Papyrus is a-okay.’’. 

His grin is tight, his eyes nothing but erratic as he gives you a big thumbs up. 

You just hum and wrap your arms around the other. Yeah, something is up.

‘’N-nyeh! Huma- Y/n!’’

‘’It’s okay, Papyrus. You don’t have to tell me but you don’t have to lie either.’’ You whisper into his shoulder.

He sits in your arms silently before wrapping his around you, and the two of you savor in the warmth and comfort you give each other.

Chapter Text

The King has been agitated for a long time now. His child dying, his wife leaving, being stuck in Underground, has made him the man he is today. He cares for none. 

He is tapping his sharped finger against the handle of his throne as Gaster stands before him, talking about his latest discoveries. He couldn’t really care less, the skeleton monster was just a mere piece in his game of chess. A piece closer to the death of humankind.

He swore they would pay for what they've done.

Those monsters locked them in here thousands of years ago and killed his only son. Humans deserve no mercy. They were ants under his boot.

Asgore mind wondering has to come to an end when someone coughs loudly. Gaster’s looking peeved at the nonchalant reaction of the King.

‘’Did you happen to hear me, my Lord?’’ He asks, surprisingly keeping his emotions in check.

The King hums. ‘’Oh yes. Was that it?’’ 

Gaster’s brows furrow slightly, something anyone else would’ve missed, but Asgore is quite perceptive of one of his oldest followers. He knew his quirks by now.

‘’Yes but I may need more test subjects. I would like to take a closer look at their souls. If I can figure out their trait I could-’’

‘’No. You may get back to your work, doctor.’’ Asgore brushes off, already getting off his throne. He isn’t going to amuse the idea of giving him more of his subjects to play with. The royal scientist is a sadistic fellow. He needs to learn his place.

Gaster knows not to bother the King any further and gives a bow before storming out of the throne room, coat dancing in the air.

Asgore walks on the step stones out of the room, mindful of the yellow flowers. His mind is fired up, thoughts stuck in the wrongdoings of humans. Every now and then a human would fall, giving them another soul, but it's been quiet for a long time. If Gaster’s experiments work, they’ll be out of here without needing to wait for another child to fall.

He wishes he could see what the humans were up to, they could be planning their demise this very moment. 

Clenching his fist, he growls.

Humans… There will be no mercy for you.

*

CLANG! 

An empty can of beans flies across mountains of garbage and trash. Annoyed cursing can be heard within the depths of the Waterfalls as a certain skeleton is elbows deep in filth. The smell of the place penetrates your senses, making it hard for any monster to stay there for too long with their immaculate sense of smell.

For Sans though, it is a place of business.

His sneakers sink into a particularly wet spot with a slosh, making him grimace at the dampness soaking into his socks, as he shifts around while adjusting the bag slung on his shoulder. 

‘’damn it.’’ 

Shaking his feet one at a time like a dog, he digs through the piles, throwing away any wrappers and chewed up toys before finding any useful items he’d be able to sell. Clothes, electronics, food, are the most wanted items, with hobbies a close second. Some monsters pay good money to be able to do anything to get their minds out of the dangers of everyday life.

Anything Papyrus might like, Sans put away in his pockets for safe keeping.

He didn’t always find anything, which frustrated him to no end as hours could be spent looking for the treasures among the trash. But it all depended on humans again, whatever they threw away could end up in the Underground. Always about the damn humans.

Sans tosses another bag of probably -very used- diapers quickly far away from him before he slumps to sit on a heap, letting out a loud groan. He’d have to get back soon so he can squeeze in a small nap before Gaster would drag him back up to the labs.

What a night.

The skeleton rubs his skull, realizing too late that he is spreading dirt and gray goo all over himself. 

‘’ugh! fuck!’’ He yells out, quickly wiping away the disgusting juices off his face with the sleeve of his shirt. With a limp wrist, he flaps his hands, getting droplets of garbage juice everywhere.

Sans huffs and puffs before just resulting in leaning against his knees with his head hanging low. 

His body aches all over and his shoulders feel tense from hours of digging. His sockets close as he feels the need for a proper night’s rest creeping up. You and Papyrus were back at home fast asleep, not having a worry about the world, while he was hard at work most nights. However he doesn’t feel any resentment for the two of you, as he’s prepared to do anything for his little brother.

The bag on his shoulder slips down from the weight of some books, a pair of glasses, and other random nick-nacks he found, nothing too useful. The bunny store owner is his best quote unquote customer as she trusted him to bring in the good stuff. She knew well enough why Sans was doing this. She had kids of her own.

Kids are relatively safe here, from adults, but that didn’t stop them from picking fights with each other. It’s why Paps had to stay inside, he wasn’t ready to fight. 

Sans lets out an exaggerated sigh before getting up with his knees popping uncomfortably. He wasn’t up for having deep thoughts at a dump. 

And with that he shortcuts in an alleyway by the shop. 

Stepping into the shop, the familiar shopkeeper greets him, ‘’Evening. Just a moment.’’ 

She continues chatting with some broody looking dog monster while Sans waits behind them, leaning against a beam, his short stature hidden by the large furry mass. Soon enough they let up and storm out with a huff. 

Whatever that was about, he couldn’t care less.

‘’You got something for me this time?’’ The monster asks, their cigarette hanging loosely between their sharpened teeth, smoky clouds coming from the corner of her mouth, unbothered by the grumpy customer. Other patrons peruse the aisles of the small shop as the skeleton and bunny got down to business.

Dumping his bag on the counter and leaning back, ‘’have a look.’’

The store clerk pulls out an array of items from the depths of the bag with a look of dismay. ‘’This is nothing, kid.’’

‘’the dump was pretty cleared. tha’ it.’’ Sans picks on his teeth as he starts looking around. He thought this would go smoothly and he could go about his nightly routine with a celebratory nap, but I guess luck is never on his side.

She inspects the glasses closer, her soft fur covered hands turning the surprisingly still intact spectacles over. With a sigh, she opens the till behind the counter.

‘’At most I’ll give you 40G for the glasses. The rest won’t sell well. Not worth it.’’ 

Not up for arguing, he grumbles out, ‘’yeah, whatever.’’ 

No time for that nap, I guess…

Gold hidden deep in his pocket, he ventures out of the shop, bag still as heavy as ever. If the shopkeeper won’t bite, he’ll just have to resort to other vendors. 

*

You pick on the hem of the shirt you’re wearing, a black and red striped shirt that belongs to Sans. Or used to belong to him? You haven’t seen him wear striped shirts the entirety of your stay, though you learned from Papyrus that children are supposed to wear them to differentiate from the adults as monsters come in all sizes and forms.

It made sense to you.

The few monsters you saw on your first day did look quite different and you wouldn’t have been able to tell if they were kids or not.

You let out a long sigh as you sprawl across the bed. Sometimes when Sans isn’t here, you sneak to sleep in his bed. If he’s noticed, he hasn’t said anything.

Papyrus is downstairs preparing your lunches which as usual probably wasn’t much. The leftover spaghetti you had nearly daily wasn’t enough, as you kept portions small to not make their dad suspicious of large amounts of missing food. 

You understood the reason. You didn’t want to risk anything, but your body was growing weaker by the day. You noticed that your bones have started to jut out more.

It didn’t bother you much, as you couldn’t do anything about your situation, but when you’d almost passed out on the stairs, it did leave you drowning in a pit of anxiety. What if you just starved to death and never got to see your mom and dad again?

At home you never went hungry, your mom always prepped you the best of snacks and meals. Dino Nuggets, fruits, little baby carrots; everything a kid could ask for.

Rubbing your growling belly, you whimper at the sharp pangs of pain that stab your insides.

‘’Oh, what I’d give to have pizza.’’ The thoughts of steaming foods making you practically drool.

‘’Pizza?’’ Papyrus enters your vision suddenly, startling you, almost knocking him over in the process.

‘’I-I’m so sorry!’’ He screeches, holding a bowl of leftovers close to his body, his eyes wide and buzzing. 

Sitting up, you take a breath before reassuring the shaky skeleton. ‘’It’s okay. It’s okay. Spooked me there, Pap.’’ An airy chuckle leaves your mouth.

‘’Am I s-scary?’’ He starts fidgeting with his skeletal claws, causing a scratching sound to fill your ears. 

‘’You’re as scary as a butterfly. Not at all!’’ You give him a toothy smile, leaning on his shoulder. 

His sharp teeth slowly form a small smile and his cheeks grow red. You giggle at the flustered skeleton, poking the blush covering his face.

‘’I didn’t know skeletons can blush.’’ 

If you've ever seen a fish out of water, that is Papyrus right now. It’s hilarious seeing the usually confident boy flail around as he scrambles to the floor, covering his face with the long sleeves of his shirt. It’s really cute.

He lets out a long whine, shaking his head side to side. You jump off the bed to rub his back which he doesn’t pull away from. 

‘’I’m sorry, Papy. I didn’t mean to make you shy. I just don’t know much about skeletons.’’ 

His red eyelights peek from between his hands.

‘’I can teach you.’’

You nod profusely. ‘’That would be fun!’’ 

Your excitement seems to rub on him as he uncovers his still red face and gives you a beaming smile.

‘’T-teacher P-Papyrus will teach you all you need to know about s-skeleton monsters!’’ He’s immediately on his feet, food long forgotten, gathering supplies for what seems to be a school lesson. Notebooks, pens, a book or two get thrown by your feet as he flies by. You’re just excited to finally learn something about this new world you’ve been thrown into.

And that is how you ended up with Papyrus clad in one of Sans’s coats, that absolutely swallowed him up, and a pair of glasses taped to his head as he taught his class -you and an army of stuffies- a course on skeletons.

He taps his whiteboard, a large notebook, aggressively with his pen. ‘’Attention, class!’’

You look up, turning your fellow classmates around with you in haste.

Papyrus chuckles as an animated sweat bead forms on his brow bone. ‘’W-wowie! Such a b-big crowd!’’ He fidgets with the pen in his hand, staring off before jumping out of the trance.

‘’W-well, this is skeletons 101: everything you, human, need to know about me!’’ 

You nod excitedly, holding onto the stuffed rabbit he had gifted you, its matted fur comforting any anxieties away.

‘’Hmm, o-okay, skeleton monsters are very r-rare so me, Sans, and dad are the only ones out left. I-I think there used to be more but most d-died in the wars…’’ 

You throw your arm up and Papyrus calls on you to speak: ‘’So you’re one of a kind?’’ 

‘’Nyeh, y-yes! I’m the one and only P-Papyrus!’’ His wide smile and starry eyes showing he isn’t off put by being an almost extinct monster species. If they can even go extinct as you had no clue how children were made or how long monsters could live for.

‘’Well, you are my fave skeleton out there!’’ You egg him on, or just compliment him as that isn’t a lie. Sans is grumpy all the time and Gaster’s just mean.

Papyrus buffers, his cheeks glowing red and eyes darting away before he rubs his neck. 

‘’Oh you, h-human. A-always with the jokes!’’ 

‘’It’s not a joke, Paps. You really are my favorite. You’ve been so nice to me all this time even though I’m just bumming all your food and making you a criminal.’’ Your brows scrunch up and you can feel the heaviness on your chest dragging you down. This whole time your conscience has been weighed down by the guilt of putting good people in danger. 

You don’t deserve him, nor Sans no matter how much he still scared you.

Papyrus comes to sit down in front of you and pulls you in a hug. ‘’Oh, it’s okay, Y-Y/n. You are my f-favorite human. Don’t worry, we’ll f-figure something out soon.’’

You don’t refute him and just bask in the comfort of the young kid, who is just as scared as you are about the future. 

Eventually the two of you separate and continue your class, though a little somber, but you didn't want to stop when he’d asked you. You’re not going to let your guilt get in the way of having fun when you can. That can be a problem for the future.

Papyrus is back in his spot, papers with drawings of cartoon skeletons littering the floor in front of the two of you. You pop in with a question whenever something doesn’t make sense or you just want to learn more. 

‘’-make ecto. I-it’s a skill I will learn when I’m older.’’ 

‘’Wow. You can make yourself look like anything?’’ You ask, genuinely wishing for a skill like that.

‘’W-well, no. I think it all depends on y-your lifestyle choices.’’ He explains, not all that sure looking as he holds a finger on his chin in thought.

‘’Ah, poo.’’ 

‘’Nyeh! We can also blush, like I-I did earlier…’’ He whispers the last part, twisting his fingers together in nervous matter. ‘’It is the same color as o-our magic.’’

‘’Oh, the bones you made, they were glowing red. You’re red!’’ Practically screaming out, you jump up from the floor, startling poor Papyrus. 

‘’Y-yes?’’ 

‘’That’s so cool. I wish I had yellow magic. Or pink.’’ You push out your hands as if you were going to suddenly have magic. 

Papyrus chuckles, giving your outreached hand a gentle high five.

‘’Human m-mages did exist. T-they put us underground actually.’’

‘’Really? Can I be a mage too?’’ You look down at him, swaying on your feet.

He scratches his head, thinking for a minute or two. 

‘’I-I don’t know… I’m s-sorry…’’

‘’It’s okay, I just think it would be cool to be one.’’ Smiling, you sit back down in the crowd of ‘students’ to continue your lesson. 

He hums, pulling the coat closer to his body before clearing his throat. ‘’Alright, c-class. Umm, next up… Age! M-monsters can live up to thousands of years. My dad is close to 1500 by now, I-I think.’’

‘’Wow. How old are you? 100?’’ Your mind starts feeling fuzzy as the thought of a species being able to live so long. Just how long have they been stuck here? 

‘’Nyeh heh! No, I’m only 8 but my growth slows down a lot when I turn 25.’’

‘’Oh, we are the same age! I’m 8, too. Except I only live up to a 100.’’ You say pitiful. By the time you’re old and wrinkled, he’ll be just a young adult. 

‘’Humans seem quite f-fragile. I mean, Sans a-always tells me that humans are very dangerous but you don’t seem that s-scary.’’ He looks at you, eyes wide with clear confusion by the new information he’s getting. If he’s never met a human before, he wouldn’t understand just how fragile humans truly are. You could just drop dead the next day without an explanation.

You nod eagerly. ‘’My mom always tells me to wash my hands or I could get very sick. She told me that she once was so sick, she had to go to the hospital. She also broke her arm before.’’ 

Holding up your arm, you pretend to chop it with your other hand. Papyrus visibly winces at the sight, hugging his arms close while shaking his head.

‘’Oh no! It’s very bad when a skeleton breaks a bone. It d-disrupts the magic flow and is very painful. It takes a s-super long time to heal.’’ He pouts as he speaks.

You squeeze his arm. ‘’Well, I’ll make sure you won’t be breaking any bones. And if you do, doctor Y/n will help you!’’

Papyrus gives you his trademark smile before patting your head with his notebook. ‘’Teacher Papyrus and doctor Y/n.’’

You shake your head, swatting away his notebook with a giggle. ‘’That sounds good to me.’’ 

With that the lesson is concluded, as you two get distracted by making a hospital and school for the group of toys around you. Hours pass by when you play together, making a mess all over the room, before you scatter to the bathroom to pee. Thankfully Gaster isn’t home most of the time so your piss breaks are relatively safe.

Humming to yourself, you light up a scented candle Sans had gotten to cover up your smell either from him or the dad. You aren’t all that sure how strong it actually is. 

You barely make it to the toilet when the front door slams closed. Your heart plummets . 

Heavy footsteps echo in the hall as someone walks up the stairs. 

Your body gets shocked from its frozen state before you scramble into the bathtub and close the shower curtain behind you. Sliding down the porcelain, your hands slam on your mouth as a whimper escapes.

No, no, no!

You can’t be found now!

The footsteps continue to the room you’re in and the door opens. You can see the tall shadow of the person through the curtain, and you close your eyes tight. This is it. 

He’s going to find you.

The tall figure, Gaster, opens a cabinet, rummaging through. You can hear him open a bottle of pills before taking one and placing it back in. The silence stretches as you can just feel him pause. Did he see you? You peek your eyes open.

Sizzle.

The smoke from the blown out candle enters your view. You forgot the candle. How could you be so dumb? Now he’s bound to know something’s off. 

The tense air continues as he stays put, almost teasing you with his presence. Your body lays flat against the tub, doing its best to hide away while in plain view. You stop breathing.

Gaster scuffles closer to you. You could practically feel his cold eyes staring through the curtain. You want to scream for help until the door bursts open.

‘’D-dad! W-what are you doing h-here?’’ Papyrus stutters loudly causing the figure close to you to take a few steps back, turning away from you. Thank god.

‘’Papyrus, you shouldn’t leave candles lit unsupervised. Did Sans teach you that?’’ Gaster’s dark voice speaks. 

‘’S-sorry, dad…’’ 

‘’Tch. Go clean up, you’re coming to the labs today.’’ The tall skeleton finally moves away from the shower to wash their hands by the sink. You wish you could let out a sigh. 

‘’W-why? I’m not s-smart like Sans.’’ 

The tap turns off and Gaster twists around to face the young boy. ‘’Indeed but you will be helping in… other ways. Now chop chop. I will not be made to wait.’’ He brushes past Papyrus and his footsteps get less and less as he leaves your earshot.

Silent tiptoes approach you and they open the cupboard by the shower before whispering, ‘’I’ll be g-gone for t-tonight but stay hidden. B-bye bye, Y/n.’’ 

With that Papyrus walks out of the bathroom, closing the door behind him, leaving you in total darkness as you wait for the two to leave. In the month you’ve stayed here, their father hasn’t asked for Paps to come with him. I mean, why would he? He’s just a kid. So the interaction left an uneasy pit in your stomach as you mull over all the possibilities until the front door slams shut.

Instantly your body relaxes and you take in a deep breath to soothe your burning lungs. The anxiety of the situation finally dawns on you and your lip trembles as a shaken cry leaves your mouth. You try to stop the cries and whimpers but your body can’t seem to stop as you let everything out, curling in a little ball on the bottom of the bathtub. Tears run down your cheeks, your shirt soaking them up.

The darkness swallows you and you feel utterly hopeless. 

‘’I want mommy.’’ You cry out desperately. 

Barely eating anything today and big swings in mood make your vision blurry and gut turn.

With your body weak, you do eventually get out of the tub out of fear of getting caught, just to move into the depths of the closet to cry in until Papyrus returns.

Chapter Text

Humming overhead lights and clicking of boots against the rocky floor fill Papyrus’s ears as he scampers behind his father, trying to keep up the best he can with his short stature. The trip to the labs was short-lived and filled with anxiety, his thoughts going wild as he tried his best to rack up why he was coming with. 

It made no sense to him. 

But here he is, following his dad to an unknown destination.

Papyrus almost knocks into Gaster when he suddenly stops. The metal door in front of them looms over the poor skeleton, filling him with unease and dread. A smell that he can only describe as the grime that accumulates in the vents of their house wafts around them. It tickles the inside of his nose. 

Gaster opens the door, closing it behind once the young skeleton enters the room. 

‘’What- what are we doing h-here?’’ Papyrus asks, looking around. Shelves littered with different medical instruments and chemicals surround them on all sides, a clunky machine sits by the examination table in the middle of it all. 

His dad stays silent as he goes about prepping a wheeled cart with various objects, as if it’s just another day shopping for groceries. 

Papyrus fidgets with his shirt, pulling on a loose string, deciding to not interrupt his work when he gets no response. He shouldn’t pull on it since it keeps unraveling, but he doesn’t know what to do with his hands. 

‘’Sit on the table.’’ Gaster eventually calls out, cleaning a needle that looks incredibly painful to Papyrus.

With a struggle, he lifts himself onto the large examination table, looking down as his legs dangle off the side, far away from the ground. He looks up at his father.

‘’W-what are we doing?’’ 

Gaster eyes his son before admitting: ‘’The King is refusing any new test subjects even after my new discovery, so today you will be assisting me.’’

Papyrus freezes at the words. He doesn’t know much about what his father and brother do for work but he knows it isn’t fun. Monsters always avoided the royal scientist when they were outside. Sometimes monsters have gone missing.  He feels it may have a connection to his father.  There have been rumors so prominent that they’ve reached even Papyrus’ ears.

‘’I… Is S-Sans here? I want t-to go h-home.’’ He stutters out, his soul beating frantically in his chest. 

‘’Sans won’t be coming in today. I shall be working on you myself. Now lay down.’’ His father simply says. He puts on a pair of black rubber gloves while Papyrus watches with tears in his eyes. 

‘’D-dad, t-this isn’t fun… C-can I go h-home?’’ He tries to speak but ends up stuttering over his words as his anxiety rises. There are tears threatening to fall from the poor child.

The royal scientist sighs. ‘’Papyrus, don’t be so difficult. I will be having none of that. Do as I say or I will have to restrain you.’’

The said skeleton slowly moves to lay on the cool surface of the table, letting out a whimper. He hides his face into his sleeves as he shakes, his body filled with nervous energy. 

Maybe it won’t be that bad. It’s his father after all?

He can hear the scratching of pen on paper which makes him peek from between his fingers. Gaster seems to be filing paperwork which allows him some time to calm down. He tries taking deep breaths to relax his shivering body. He needs to be good.

Gaster clicks his pen, lowering the papers on the tray. ‘’Alright. Let’s get started.’’ 

The band of the clear rubber gloves snapping startles the boy, his stomach coiling uncomfortably from the nerves. It makes him feel nauseous but he doubts he can even vomit with the not-having-anything-after-breakfast and all.

‘’W-what are you g-going t-to do?’’ Papyrus asks, his voice barely a whisper.

‘’Now now. I am merely checking for your soul.’’ The royal scientist holds a handheld electronic to his chest. A hum sounds from the machine as a red light scans an area of his torso, looking for something. 

Only a few seconds after, it stops with a ping. 

His dad hums before putting the device down and flicking through the multiple colored vials. He settles with an orange liquid that splashes against the sides. It looks so vibrant and unreal to Papyrus, like something he could only imagine seeing on the Surface. It has the young skeleton fascinated. 

‘’Based on your soul and how you act, I believe your soul trait is bravery. Something you’ll need in this world.’’ Gaster speaks up, already filled needle in hand.

‘’Bravery? B-but monster s-souls aren’t supposed to have t-traits.’’ 

The royal scientist nods. ‘’Indeed. However, due to my research, I have developed a hypothesis that monsters can connect with one trait more than others. My surviving patients have proved useful in learning this.’’

‘’Survi-!’’ 

He yelps when all of a sudden his soul is pulled out. The glowing heart shines beautifully under the harsh spotlights. It has Papyrus in awe even when terrified and wishing to pull it back in. His bony hand reaches for it but his father restrains him to the table with a pair of disembodied hands he’d summoned unnoticed. 

When a sharp needle enters his vision, he panics. The poor skeleton starts squirming and wailing at his dad. 

‘’N-no! Dad! P-please!’’

Another pair of hands with no owner come to hold the shaking boy down and allow for Gaster to finally pierce the smooth surface of his soul. 

Screams of pain and terror echo through the labs as Papyrus wails, eyes closed tightly. To the skeleton, it feels like his whole body is being sawed open. He can even feel the liquid pushed into his soul. His claws try to dig into the metal desperately with no give. 

The needle is pulled out but it doesn’t end his suffering, his whole body feels like it’s on fire, his bones burning from the inside. Papyrus’s vision is white and tears flow down his face, he begins convulsing on the table. The hands hold him tightly against the table, barging on painful, to keep him from flying off. 

He can hear rapid beeping and something clattering but he doesn’t feel present anymore, almost disconnected from his body even when the pain is so clear. 

To him, it feels like hours go by until the trashing starts to settle. The pressure holding him down lets up, allowing him to bring his arms around himself. The poor boy’s skeleton is still shivering and there is a sheet of cold sweat covering him.

Papyrus’s breaths come out uneven while he stares up at the ceiling above him. He can barely think. 

Paper flicking alerts him of his father’s presence. His red eyelights wander to the figure standing a bit aways, writing in his journal. 

‘’D-dad.’’ He whispers. 

He takes a long pause, as if he hadn’t even heard his son speak. He doesn’t even look his way. Time moves excruciatingly slow as Papyrus waits for a response.

Finally he slides open his maw; ‘’You will be under supervision until the next dosage. Such a minimal shot should not be a danger yet, though with the failing of my last subject, it cannot hurt to keep an eye.’’

‘’I wanna go home.’’ Papyrus whines weakly. 

‘’You will be staying here. Worry not son, I’ll place you in a private room.’’ 

Papyrus leans his cheek against the cold metal. With his body placid, he almost feels like a ragdoll. 

You’re at home though. He can’t just leave you alone and disappear for however long his dad needed him. 

‘’B-but what about Sans? H-he needs me.’’ 

‘’Sans is busy, do not ask again.’’ The royal scientist sighs, pinching the space between his eyes. ‘’Now be silent. I need to focus.’’

‘’He will w-wonder. He will find out!’’ He argues back with the little strength he has left. 

Gaster shoots him a look of pure outrage. He slams the journal down and stalks over to him. His shadow looms over the poor skeleton. 

‘’Boy! You have no power over me, I am your father and you will do as I say.’’ He gnarls. ‘’Sans will focus on his job and you will do nothing to distract him from that! We are doing important work.’’ He stills to compose himself.

‘’Besides, you know your brother only has a few HP. You wouldn’t want to needlessly worry him to the point of falling, would you?’’

Papyrus' tired body is shaking, not from fear but from utter desperation and helplessness. He knows he’s right, and he can’t do anything about it. He would rather die than see his brother get hurt. 

Gaster uncomfortably leans over to take hold of Papyrus’ jaw. ‘’I will supervise you myself. From home. And if you tell that nosy brother of yours a word about this, I am going to see to it that he gets the same fate as you do.’’ He smiles and his grip tightens slightly. ‘’Do you understand?’’ 

The child nods frantically until his head is let go. He takes a deep breath before he starts sobbing. He hides his face in his hands but the body-wracking cries still echo in the room. 

‘’I’m going to clean up, and then I will take you home. Can’t have your brother finding out now, can we?.’’ Gaster chuckles.

*

Your friend had returned home that night, just in time for dinner with his father. You’d heard the slamming of the door, along with hushed mumbling that you couldn’t decipher. Next were hurried footsteps on the stairs and the door to the bedroom opening to show a distraught-looking Papyrus. 

He refused to open up about what they did at the labs, other than mentioning he assisted his father. You didn’t press him on the matter longer. 

Maybe you should have.

He’s been acting off since. More quiet. More sullen. Though he plasters a smile to think otherwise. 

Reminding you of your mother, who had similar tendencies to not speak to you for days, you begin to feel quite helpless.

So, today you start interrogations.

Laying on your stomach with your feet mindlessly kicking, coloring a picture, you listen to Papyrus play with his figurines by your side. Yellow crayon in hand, filling inside the lines, you take notice of the other’s relaxed demeanor. 

There is a sort of routine you’ve gotten into that has you going through the days in a haze. You seem to snap out of it when the front door creaks open and you retreat back into the musty closet. 

You don’t want to ruin this moment, its ease, but his behavior changed literally overnight, and you are concerned for your friend.

With little hesitation, you finally break the silence; ‘’Papyrus?’’

The said skeleton falters, his superhero toy midflight lowering down to his lap. His head turns your way.

‘’Y-yes?’’

You fiddle with the crayon, the waxy coat sticking to your fingers. 

‘’Did- Did something happen with your dad?’’ You ask, eyes glued to your hands, not daring to watch the other’s reaction.

‘’H-heh, w-why do you ask?’’ You can practically feel the forced smile plastered on his face by the clatter of his teeth and the shaky exhale.

‘’Well, you’ve been very quiet and I’m worried.’’ Your voice can barely be heard but no doubt the young skeleton picked it up. Ever since your lesson on monsters, he’s been throwing skeleton facts at you at all times of the day.

Papyrus doesn’t speak for a minute, just fidgets in his spot. The silence never feels awkward between the two of you but you can’t help but feel your anxiety rising the longer it goes on. You dearly hope you didn’t speak out of line. 

‘’I’m not a-allowed to tell. It’s a s-secret.’’ He utters out. 

‘’I won’t say anything, promise!’’ You scoot closer to Papyrus and grab his hands in yours. The joints of his fingers press against the softness of your flesh but you don’t mind that. Even if there is no cushion, you find comfort in his touch.

The skeleton has a troubled look on his face as he looks down at your joined hands. His eye lights mere pinpricks trail to you. 

‘’P-promise?’’ He whispers. 

You nod, mimicking zipping your mouth shut. 

Gulping, how ever that is even possible for a skeleton, Papyrus nods several times, almost making you worry he might snap his neck, before taking a large inhale. You allow him to prepare himself, waiting patiently while holding his sweaty hands. 

‘’Okay.’’ He begins but gets interrupted by banging on the front door. 

Startling the two of you, Papyrus practically flies on top of you, clearly not expecting someone over. 

Your head flips to him, heart beginning to pound in your chest. 

‘’Could it be your dad?’’ You truly pray it’s just their father forgetting his keys or something but the odds of that are slim to none.

‘’N-no. H-he wouldn’t knock. He h-has a key.’’ Papyrus’ voice barely comes out as a whisper, his breathing picking up just like yours. 

‘’Do- do we open it?’’ 

‘’I- Umm. I’m not su-’’

KNOCK. KNOCK. KNOCK.

Your ears pick up bits of faint yelling from outside but Papyrus perks up. Darn your hearing. 

‘’H-hide in the closet. Quick.’’ He pushes off of you, dragging you by your hand towards the small room. His eyes look at you pleadingly, his fear present in his features. You hurry into the closet that Papyrus slams shut before running out the room and to the front door.

You slide against the far corner of the tight space and try to calm your pounding heart. You really don’t want to faint right then and there in case someone comes in. 

*

Creak.

The small skeleton peeks through the crack of the door to see two burly monsters standing outside. They’re wearing royal guards’ armory. 

‘’H-hello?’’ 

The other, a dog monster, peers at him from behind locs of golden fur, their hand gripping a large sword almost the size of Papyrus. Next to them is a long-legged spider monster, whose armor looks to be custom-made to accommodate for their extra limbs. 

‘’Are your parents home, child?’’ The dog’s voice booms, startling the skeleton from observing the two.

‘’N-no.’’ Papyrus squeaks, his hands holding onto the handle of the door for dear life. He wants them to leave but doesn’t want to come across as suspicious.

‘’There have been rumors of human sightings. Have you heard or seen anything?’’ A rather melodic voice comes from the spider, their several eyes blinking down at the much smaller monster.

Oh no.

No. No. No! No!

Did they find out? Did someone recognize you? You haven’t been outside after he found you, right? Right? No one should know!

In his panicked state not realizing how long he’s been quiet, staring at the guard with wide delirious eyes, the dog monster grumbles. ‘’Have you or have you not?’’ 

‘’No! N-no humans around here!’’ Papyrus suddenly blurts out, giving the two a rather awkward chuckle. 

He watches as the guardsmen turn to each other, seemingly having an unspoken conversation until they face the child once more. 

‘’Could we come in? We would like to check the premises. A human could have snuck into any household.’’ The spider monster asks but Papyrus can see the two watching him, daring. He knows what could happen if he refuses.

Though hesitantly, he does open the door wider, allowing the large monsters to enter. They fit through with no issue since his father is a very tall man, all spaces accommodate that.

Closing the door behind them, Papyrus stays back, winding his phalanges together as the two look around. 

‘’Your father is the royal scientist?’’ The one with the melodic voice asks, clearly having found the large framed photo by the staircase showcasing the skeleton family. 

‘’Y-yes.’’ Papyrus mumbles. 

Most monsters are very aware of who the royal scientist is, especially those who work the royal guard due to their affiliation with the King. 

The spider just hums and continues looking around. The dog monster exits the kitchen.

‘’What are you hiding in the cupboards?’’ He tilts his head down, glaring with those demanding eyes.

‘’Oh! D-dad keeps them locked to keep the food safe from- from burglars.’’ Papyrus lies, feeling it might be better than telling them that the esteemed royal scientist is starving them. He doesn’t want his father getting upset at him for revealing how he punishes his children.

‘’Magic sealed?’’

‘’I-I think so? I d-don’t know, I’m sorry…’’ He thinks the stress is starting to make his head short-circuit as he stumbles through his words. He feels like an idiot. His brother is better at dealing with the guard but he’s never been home alone during one of the guards’ searches, and he hopes they might understand that.

Grumbling, the dog guard points up. ‘’Can we see upstairs?’’ 

Nodding stiffly, Papyrus hurries before them on the landing, opening his bedroom door slowly. 

Please, don’t come out, Y/N!

The clacking of heavy metal boots indicates the two’s arrival as they enter the colorful children’s bedroom. 

‘’T-this is me and my brother’s room. H-he’s not here.’’ Papyrus explains, rubbing his hands together.

‘’I can see.’’ The tall spider guard remarks, their eyes moving wildly in their sockets as they take in everything.

With that Papyrus stays back, nervously watching the two look through their things, hoping they won’t notice the closet. 

But when is luck ever on their side?

The furry hand of the dog monster curls around the handle of the closed door. Papyrus feels like he’s going to puke. 

‘’W-wait!’’ He barely utters out. 

This is it. He is going to jail. He is a criminal. He will never see his brother again.

He can just hear the door opening but he doesn’t dare look, his eye lights glued to his feet. Well, better get ready. He’d rather not see the look of betrayal on your face as they find you. Or… Or when they take your soul. 

Silence.

Papyrus peeks up in your direction when there are no cries of terror or guard yelling. The closet is empty. Just neatly folded blankets and your bunny remain at the bottom where he expected to see you. 

Mouth practically gaping, Papyrus starts surveying the room as inconspicuous as a child can.

Where are you?

*

Without knowledge of the young skeleton’s panic, you’re sitting on a rock in the depths of the Waterfalls, swinging your legs back and forth as his older brother paces in front of you. 

He’d managed to find out about the royal guard’s searches at the last minute to get you out of the house, but neither of you had time to tell Papyrus. The poor skeleton must be so confused.

Rubbing his skull, Sans groans, ‘’fuck. fuckin’ guard. ‘course they had to come righ’ now.’’ Continuing his huffing and puffing, your eyes follow the frustrated skeleton.

‘’He’ll be okay, right? They won’t know I was there?’’ You’re not sure about your chances of survival anymore, someone must’ve seen you at some point. Papyrus didn’t recognize you being a human first but that doesn’t mean that others won’t. 

‘’they shouldn’. yer scent should be covered but the other guard was a dog monster so we’re pretty screwed.’’ He growls, his sharp teeth grinding together painfully. 

‘’Sorry…’’ You mumble out, finding your fingers more interesting than the nervous skeleton. 

You hear Sans sigh before he shuffles to come sit on the rock, as far away from you as possible. You suppose you’ll just have to wait it out.

*

The royal guardsmen walk to the door, a shaky skeleton seeing them off.

‘’The house is clear. Contact us if you see any human activity. Harboring a human is a crime punishable by death.’’ The long-legged monster states, voice firm with authority as their deep black eyes stare into his soul.

Papyrus nods quickly. ‘’O-of course.’’

Humming, they bow their head and signal the other to move out. The two trudge off their porch towards other households leaving Papyrus a wreck. He slams the door shut, locking it with a click before his back is wound tightly against the wood. Pressing his hand against his heaving chest, he lets out a labored exhale.

He tries to calm his racing soul with little improvement until he pushes himself off the door and sprints upstairs. 

‘’Y/n! W-where are you?’’ He calls out, head swiveling in every direction as he starts looking for you in a flit. 

The closet gets absolutely demolished, clothes are pushed out of the way, blankets are thrown across the floor in search of you. The panic and terror he is feeling is like no other. 

‘’Y-Y/n! This isn’t fun! Come out!’’ Papyrus cries. ‘’P-please…’’ 

He even opens the covered window of their room to see if you’ve left that way but to no avail. 

By now there are tears in his sockets, and the poor boy is sitting on the floor in the middle of the chaos he’s made. 

Where did you go? Did you leave? Were you caught while he wasn’t looking?

He’s fidgeting with the bunny he had gifted when you’d arrived, the fur matted and gray. He feels unsure of what to do. He doesn’t have a phone anymore, he can’t just call his brother for help. He can’t leave to go looking either, the Underground is huge and he would never be able to find you on his own. 

As he lowers his head into his hands, he hears a stomp followed by a yelp.

‘’Owie!’’ 

Papyrus spins around to find you on the floor and Sans coming his way. Grabbing his younger brother, he looks him over quickly.

‘’they do anythin’? ya hurt?’’ 

The shorter skeleton merely stares at you which ticks Sans off.

‘’papyrus serif. ‘r ya okay?’’ He growls impatiently, not in the mood for being ignored.

‘’I’m o-okay, Sans. How did- did you know they were coming?’’ Papyrus asks, feeling lost. There is an uncomfortable pit in his stomach. He doesn’t entirely know why he feels such betrayal towards seeing you totally fine, and it has him squirming. 

‘’some workers were talkin’ about it, didn’ have ‘nough time to catch ya though. they suspicious of us?’’ Sans asks with a dark glint in his eyes. Papyrus shakes his head.

‘’I think I l-lied pretty good.’’ 

His older brother pats his skull before getting up from the floor. 

‘’’kay. i’m gonna check fo’ any bugs. stay here.’’ With that, Sans shortcuts out of the room, presumably to begin downstairs, leaving you alone with Papyrus, who has started fidgeting with the bunny plushie once more.

You rub your sore bum from being dropped to the ground by the grumpy skeleton, before crawling to sit by your friend. You take notice of the mess around you, wondering if it was the guards’ doing in search for you. Not asking about it, you hold out your hand to Papyrus, which he immediately grabs. 

The two of you sit there, listening to Sans bustle downstairs, allowing your heartbeat to settle. 

‘’What happened?’’ You eventually open your mouth, worried about your unmoving friend.

‘’They’re looking for a human.’’ He turns to look at you. ‘’Someone’s seen y-you.’’

You nibble on your bottom lip. This day couldn’t come any sooner. It’s been weeks since you arrived, and you’d been anxiously hoping that no one had caught sight of you but it seems that isn’t the case.

You groan, rubbing your forehead. ‘’What do we do? I mean, they don’t know I’m here , right?’’

Papyrus shakes his head. ‘’N-no, but we might have to figure s-something else out. We can’t keep you in the closet f-forever.’’ 

He looks at your figure. You’ve definitely lost weight and it’s starting to show. Due to the locked food cabinets, neither of you are getting enough food to keep growing. You feel weaker, and your stomach feels like it’s eating itself from the inside. It’s not a pleasant feeling.

Something has to be done, and soon.