It was 6:30 in the morning when you stepped outside your house.
You thought that you had prepared everything that you needed; you dressed warmly but not too warmly, you had your refillable thermos, and you had done 30 minutes worth of stretches before you even considered meeting up with Boss.
Exercising with him wouldn’t take too much effort, surely. You’d alleviated his worries for nearly a week now, and this was the final moment. You were ready!
Boss met you in your yard, sporting a black tracksuit with hot rod flames to match. His smile widened as he came into view, though his sockets were knit slightly with worry.
“Good morning, dear. I see that you’ve come equipped.”
“Morning, Boss!” You cheerily replied. “I’m all set. Anything I need to know before we head out?”
Boss averted his gaze, and spoke directly.
“Yes. I’ve prepared a full route for the two of us. We’ll go to the park, through it, and then end at a lovely coffee shop I found for some rest afterwards. Does that sound… acceptable?”
So, he was bracing for impact. You heaved a sigh.
“Boss…I thought we were going to take the route you usually did with Papyrus?”
“Yes, I’m aware, dear, but that route is relatively long. I feel that if we were to take the usual path, you may wear out. I thought maybe a shorter path would be a good start, and we could work up to the long path.”
As much as you loved how Boss worried for you, it did feel a little sour to have plans change so suddenly. Well, at least he was thinking of you.
“Ok, Boss.”
Boss must have read the expression on your face and the tone in your voice, as his expression dropped almost in sync with yours. He heaved a sigh of his own.
“I’m sorry I tried to change things last minute. I just worry for you. We can take my usual path, if you wish. Just be sure to tell me if you’re too tired to keep going.”
You nodded, offering him a large smile. You were ready to keep the pace going all day!
Those were the only two things you could think about as you followed Boss’ trail down his usual jogging path. You supposed that it was through practice that he was able to keep this up every morning. That, and sheer endurance. Maybe the lack of muscles to wear out as well.
Either way, your legs felt like jelly – which felt pathetic, as you’d only been going for half an hour, albeit at Boss’ pace.
Speaking of… contrary to you, it seemed that your jogging partner was still pushing to keep things going. Even if he refused to say it, and even when he had notably slowed down his pace for you, you could tell he was itching to rocket off through the rest of his walk. If only by the energy of his movement.
Yeah, this wasn’t working out for either of you.
You were the first to speak.
“Ok… time out. I’m ready to stop.”
Boss stopped in place, taking a moment to inspect you in all your exhausted glory.
“I see. This was what I was worried about. I appreciate your ambition on my account, but also…” he hesitated to finish.
You spoke up as he remained silent.
“Boss, I really appreciate that you prepared so much for this. I’ll admit, I overestimated my ability, too. I just thought that by taking the normal route, I could get to know you a little better. The things you like to do or see on your usual jog, y’know?”
Boss gripped his chest tightly.
“You need to not be so sweet, I don’t think my Soul can take it.” Boss picked you up, noticeably cringing a little at just how damp you were, but still he held you regardless. “Do you wish to head home?”
You shook your head.
“Not really. I don’t want to cut my time with you short. You don’t get a lot of free time as it is.”
“Do you have the energy to walk?”
“…Nope.”
“Then I will make do.”
Boss set you on the ground. You barely had time to wince before he lifted you back up, this time taking you by the knees as you were scooped up into a piggyback ride. You swiftly wrapped your arms around Boss’ shoulders, not wanting to lose your balance.
“Is this comfortable for you?” Boss asked, helping you situate yourself.
“Uh… I’m… I’m ok. Are you? I know I’m kind of sweaty right now–”
“If I cared, I wouldn’t have lifted you. Your ability to make it the rest of the way is more important than my intolerance of filth. If it is any degree of comfort, I’ve had to carry my brother in much the same way, and you could never match his lack of cleanliness.”
“…Fair.”
Boss continued down the path, moving at a quick pace, but slow enough to not jostle you. You used this time to take in your surroundings. He had chosen a relatively nice neighborhood for his walk. Trees just starting to regrow their leaves for spring lined the path, with freshly manicured lawns on either side. The houses, still cast in the shadow of the early morning light, stood in pristine lines. It appeared to be new construction, with how fresh everything about the buildings looked. A few walkers passed the two of you by, human and monster alike, with some offering a wave or a brief, “Morning!” Boss reciprocated the gesture as best he could while still holding you.
You spoke up after a little while.
“This is a nice place you found. Did you just find it at random?”
Boss answered directly.
“It was already Papyrus’ route, before I’d… erm…” He paused for a moment. “Before I joined him on his jogging route. We used to live nearby, actually.”
“Oh really?”
“Indeed. Monsters settled relatively close to here after they first emerged from Mt. Ebott. Most of what you see around you was built by them. Have you never been to this area?”
“I’ve never really had a reason to. Though I think I’ve driven past once or twice.”
“Would you care to see the old house?”
“Sure!”
Boss’ snicker was the only warning you had before he took off. It was about 4 blocks of being tossed around before he skidded to a stop right outside a quaint little house nestled right in the heart of the neighborhood.
“Do you think you can stand for a bit?”
“Yeah, would be good to stretch my legs anyway.”
Boss carefully lowered you to the ground, letting you take in the house. It was no wonder that they’d had to move; this was the perfect size for a small family. Emphasis on “small.”
“How on Earth did all 10 of you manage to squeeze in there?”
“We didn’t. That’s why we moved.”
You nodded. Suddenly, a lot of things began to click into place. You had thought the size of their house wasn’t enough before… now you couldn’t find the words.
Boss stretched his back, his spine popping slightly after the exertion of carrying you for at least 2 miles.
“It was certainly a time,” he began, “I had to share a room with both Papyrus and Poplar, as they were the only two that bothered to maintain a decently clean and organized space. Even between the three of us trying our best, though, there was barely room. It took quite a bit of work, but I thank the stars every day that we saved up enough to move out.”
“Yeah, I don’t blame you. I think I would have been driven stir crazy within a week.”
“Most of us were. Though there are some things that I miss about the old place. The location, for one.”
“Oh really? What’s so special about it?”
Boss smiled, taking your hand in his. He led you down the street, just beyond the boundary of the neighborhood – past the houses you couldn’t see before.
What you were eventually greeted with was an elementary school… and right in front of it, an enormous hedge in the shape of a familiar face. You couldn’t help but laugh at the absurdity.
“Wait, wait, is that Papyrus?”
“Indeed. He requested it from the king specifically. Every time we go jogging, he always stops to pose and take pictures in front of it. It’s always amusing, though he doesn’t do it with as much frequency anymore, as it’s a bit out of the way.”
“Oh, I would PAY to see him do that.”
Boss laughed at your comment.
“It is certainly a sight. I’ll be sure to let you know when he’s in the area. Assuming you don’t wish to accompany us on our NEXT jog?”
Boss offered you a sly smile. You shook your head.
“Nope. If I can’t keep up with you, I DEFINITELY can’t keep up with him.”
“I don’t doubt that.”
Boss led you further down the road, away from the houses and into what seemed to be a business district. This was somewhere you were more familiar with; a lot of monsters had set up shop in this place.
You’d been to the odd store here and there, though it had been a while since you visited. It wasn’t quite bustling yet in the early morning hours, but you could tell it had become much livelier. Paintings adorned the building walls, the once small shrubs had sprouted into trees… clearly the area had received a lot of TLC.
“Would you like to make one last stop before we head home?” Boss asked with a wide smile on his face.
“Sure, I’m game. Where are we headed?”
“You’ll see.” Boss led you down the street, passing window display after window display with all sorts of unique decorations. It was near the end of the street when Boss finally stopped.
“A bookstore?” You asked.
“Indeed. This was where I first learned to cook.”
You paused.
“… In a bookstore?”
“No, no. You see, when I was in the Underground, I didn’t have much time to prepare food, and not much in the way of literature on the subject either. What I did learn was from a friend, who was more focused on pummeling her food than preparing it properly. Monsters made a point to gain all kinds of knowledge once they surfaced and had access to all the books this world had to offer. So, this is where I obtained my first cookbook.”
“They didn’t have them Underground?”
“Well, they did. Sort of. Most of them were waterlogged or hard to interpret without having a monster equivalent. It was interesting, learning just what foods existed and what I could make with them. One of the many reasons I’m glad I’m here now.”
Boss looked at the store wistfully, his gaze just barely clouded over. You smiled, taking his hand in yours.
“I’m glad you’re here too.”
Boss grinned, turning his gaze to you. His smile was wide, crinkling his sockets.
“Perhaps you were right. I’m glad I was able to take this route with you. I shouldn’t have doubted you.”
“No, no, you were right to. I am going to be SORE in the morning.”
Boss chuckled, kneeling down to your level and nuzzling his teeth against your forehead.
“Perhaps we both were a little bit right and a little bit wrong. Regardless, I am happy you’re with me.”
“I’m just as happy to be with you, Boss.”
You wrapped your arms around Boss, who returned the hug tenfold. It was there, in the middle of that sidewalk, that you could feel just how much this skeleton loved you – how your love for him was just as present, and just as intense.
Warnings: None! The reader has no backstory and I tried my best to make it as gender neutral as possible
A/N: Decided to write an actual fic for the first time in 5 years,,, if it's bad I'm sorry, I will get better with time 💔
Your hands pushed the things in your drawers aside, the thoughts in your mind racing faster than your actions. You could feel the anxiety build up inside of you as you quickly crouched down on your floor, searching every little nook and cranny to see if your key may have fallen and hidden in the crevices.
You were already late to work as is and you didn't want to have your first warning your third day working there. Your eyes scattered across the floor before they stopped on your couch and you rushed over, practically shoving your hands in between the cushions. Your head was tilted to the side as you let your hands navigate through, the scratchy texture of the fabric brushing against your fingertips. Your hand was already getting tense and tired from the compact space. You cursed angrily under your breath, wishing that you had just placed it on a table until you felt it.
A rather familiar cold, metallic texture
Your shoulders lowered with relief as you felt pure joy fill your chest, your hands grasping the key and pulling your arm up. You raced to the door, not paying any mind to the chaotic mess you had created in your past moments of desperation
The sound of honking and yelling could he heard through the labyrinth of cars parked in place
It seemed as if you weren't the only one late to work. The red light seemed as if it was frozen in place and the constant noise was starting to irritate you. You looked out of your window, your fingers pressing against your temple as your elbow laid on the window sill of your car. you glanced over at your side-view mirror, your eyes catching a bright and chic, red sports car.
It seemed freshly clean as it blossomed perfectly in the afternoon sunlight. The owner, a skeleton, wore a cropped white T-shirt with the words, 'Jog Boy' written across his chest. He wore sunglasses as only one of his hands laid on the steering wheel. He seemed to notice you, his other hand waving vigorously in your direction as his permanent smile seemed to widen. You felt embarrassment creep up onto your face as you mentally face palmed. You gave a shy and awkward smile, as well as a stiff wave as you quickly redirected your attention to the traffic ahead of you
After what felt like a long while of sitting in boredom and shame, the light finally turned green, giving you the go to take a left and drive into the parking lot of the coffee shopped you worked in. You put the car in park, taking the keys out and setting them into your bag before opening the car door and stepping out. A flashy red color caught your attention once again. It was the man from before. You quickly walked into the building, not wanting a conversation to make you even more late than you already were
You opened the door, the bell hidden above the door chimed with excitement before quickly dulling down as you walked further from it. You clocked in, taking your spot in front of the cash register as you patiently waited for someone to approach. Although late, it seemed like a slow day today. The Cafe consisted of what seemed to be teenagers and college students studying or working on their chromebooks. You relaxed before quickly perking up as the bell ringed again, the same skeleton waltzing through the door with purpose.
You straightened your posture, mentally preparing your work persona as you smiled at him
"Hello sir, what can I get for you today?" You beamed, opening your notebook to prepare to write his order down while he spoke
"HELLO! I WOULD LIKE JUST A.." He paused, as if he was trying to remember something. His expression turned nervous. "EH.. H-HOLD ON A MOMENT PLEASE." The stranger said with an apologetic tone before pulling out his phone and reading from it as if he were checking an order from a friend.
His voice was loud and orotund. He spoke with a kind of confidence that you just couldn't fake. You would be lying if you said it didn't allure you even just a little bit. The tension in his expression cleared as his eyes seemed to look back to you. Not that you could tell, you were only going by what you felt. "I'LL HAVE A.. CARAMEL MACCHIATO?" He recited from the text message, his pronunciation slightly tense and wrong.
"Is that all?" You inquired, your head tilting slightly. He was quiet for just a moment before he spoke up again ".. I HAVEN'T BEEN HERE BEFORE, MY FRIEND UNDYNE WANTED ME TO GET DRINKS BEFORE OUR AFTERNOON RUN.. WHAT WOULD YOU RECOMMEND?" He asked, putting his phone into the front of his shorts pockets. You thought to yourself, trying to think about what he may or may not like.
"I think you would like a vanilla coffee with marshmallows" You suggested, looking away from his gaze and back to your notepad as you scribbled it down. "THEN I'LL HAVE THAT!" He grinned, pulling out his card to pay for the drinks. His smile was contagious, you couldn't help but give into the urge your own lips had. "Alright, your drinks should be ready soon" You turned on your heel, walking to the coffee machine as you thought about the interaction you just had.
Maybe it was just the fact you wanted to be his friend, but your heart was beating in your chest and you just couldn't bring the smile that was lacing your lips down.
Eventually you finished the drinks, putting them in their designated spots on the tray as you set it on the counter and called his order.
"Papyrus!" It must be his name, you thought as you called out his order. Almost as soon as you said it, he was back in front of the counter, taking the tray from you. His hands glided against yours for just a second and you could have sworn you felt a familiar warmth pool at your chest.
"Have a nice rest of your day sir" You said, your smile present even in your tone. "AH.. BEFORE I GO, I WAS WONDERING IF.." Papyrus trailed off, before clearing his throat. It was as if he was collecting his confidence. "I WAS CURIOUS TO SEE IF I COULD GET YOUR NUMBER? YOU SEEM VERY INTERESTING AND PLEASANT TO BE AROUND!" He seemed nervous as he spoke, but covered it up with a confident posture and a tone that was tense with worry. You were shocked by the question but were quick to recover and quietly write your number down on the note pad from before, tearing it off and handing it to him.
'Caramel macchiato, Vanilla with Marshmallows. ###-###-####'
How about an S/O who has been friends with the skeletons since the beginning, the first and longest friendship they ever had?
They're the most trustworthy confidant they can rely on, their ride-or-die, partner in crime, platonic soulmates if you will. Even calling out the skeletons bullshit, giving them advice, and telling them what they need to hear.
They have been there through the good and bad, been by their side at their best and at their worst.
Like I imagine they've been there long enough to be considered as one of their own and it's completely natural since they're used to being in each other's lives. They probably don't even remember when they first met.
Even if S/O were pushed away, got into a bad argument with them, or something along those lines, they're always there when the skeletons needed them the most, setting aside their issues to support the skeletons. If they ask, they'll deliver. Begrudgingly or not.
S/O promised themselves.
It's also surprising to some that they haven't dated sooner, or surprising to know they aren't already dating with how they act around each other.
They hadn't considered it until it was brought up, specifically rumors of them dating. Usually they brushed it off back then, in denial of having any intention of dating before both actually caught feelings.
That undescribable feeling they had for each other was love and hadn't realized it because being in love with them was as natural as breathing.
One thing is for sure though...
S/O and the skelly will stay together in the beginning to the end, always and forever.
( Hi! This is my first ask so I hope you don't mind this being very long and specific! I actually asked this in a similar blog but I wanted to ask you too! "best friends/soulmates who been at each other's side since the beginning and stay together to the end no matter the hardship they face" is one of my all-time favorites! I'm surprised that I haven't sent an ask like this yet lol)
— from yours truly, anon who has known ya for quite a while and somehow hadn't interacted until now xD
Anyways, I wish you all the best of luck <3
Sans: it’s because of how close this friendship is that sans took so long to confess. Truthfully he’s known for years now that he was head over heels for his bestie. It’s the fear of changing a good thing that has held him back from confessing. And the lack of reaction from his friend over anything romantic. Sans knows them well, he can read their expressions like a book, so for years he thought they felt nothing but platonic love for him. It’s when they start acknowledging the comments from others that he finally pulls himself together.
Papyrus: when undyne first points out to papyrus that him and his best friend act like a married couple, it’s then that he realizes, oh sh*t I’m in love with my bestie, and oh sh*t- I should be romancing them!!! That same day papyrus turns up on their porch with a huge bouquet of flowers and a declaration of his undying love for them. He has zero fears about them not feeling the same. He just knows they’re practically soulmates!
Star: the main reason he never confessed: he genuinely thought best friend and honey had a thing going. His brother is a cuddly guy, and bestie has practically been family for ages. So honey is extra snuggly with them. Star has had quite the self control these past years letting his brother take his “relationship” at his own pace. It’s only until honey asks star how he hasn’t just married bestie by now that start realizes his mistake lol
Honey: him and best friend might as well be a married couple. They practically live together at this point, they have “sleepovers” (aka snuggle nights) all the time, they hold hands sometimes, so they don’t loose each other of course ;). Heck honey even makes his bestie lunches when they go to work with cute little notes inside most days. It’s not until his bestie friend shyly asks if they’re dating that honey realizes he’s fallen head over heels. He’s just gotten so used to the domesticity of it all.
Red: he will never confess. Red has known since the first couple months he’s known friend that he’s in love. But red is a coward, so he will never make the first move. And red is so good at hiding his feelings that even his own brother just thinks he’s aromantic or something. Red has “never” shown any sort of romantic interest in someone after all. If they end up together, it’s because bestie confessed first
Edge: he’s pretty in tune with his own feelings, and edge doesn’t grow close to others easily. The second his friend starts putting butterflies in his stomach, he’ll know. And edge is not an idle monster. He starts planning immediately the best way to romance his friend. After all, if he’s gonna be their knight in shining armor, he has to do it with class and pizazz~
Mal: knowing mal, being this close with someone means he’s always up in their business. And mal is an open book. He doesn’t mind touchiness or feelings. He’s a rather physical monster at times too, so it’s likely he and bestie are basically living together and are probably in a fwb situation before mal realizes his feelings. He’ll casually mention one day that they might as well be official since he’s grown so “ATTACHED TO MY FAVORITE PARTNER IN CRIME”~
Cash: it’s when he starts getting jealous over others giving his friend attention that he realizes he’s caught feelings. That and mal hitting him over the head telling him to get it together lol. First cash has to apologize for the drama he started, then he immediately confesses to his friend in the most problematic way. He kisses them without warning after his apology lol
Oak/Willow: I put these two together because first, they have very similar tastes, second if someone is that close with one, they’ll be equally close with the other. And lastly, oak and willow are the most likely in all the skeleton lineup to wind up sharing a partner. It’s actually the ideal relationship setup for them. So oak and willow will both wind up falling for this particular bestie. Oak is the first to confess of course, and in his confession, he accidentally gives willow away. “Oh and my brother is in love with you too- sh*t I wasn’t supposed to say that-“. lol thankfully I’m sure bestie will sort things out
For that lovely anon who reads all the slasher au stuff every fall UwU I was thinking, and what could be better than some fun little scenarios of meeting a murderer! Here's the original post if you don't know what I'm talking about, lol. I hope you enjoy!
Slasher Undertale Sans (Rubix): While Rubix doesn't do much of the dirty work as half of the Jigsaw killer, he does stake out potential victims. That's when he met you. He was following a potential victim, when the suspect bumped into you. Immediately, the asshole started blaming you, only getting more and more violent. When Sans stepped in to help you, the look of relief on your face was absolutely addicting. He wanted to see that expression every day. He just has to take care of this filth first.
Slasher Undertale Papyrus (Chess): Surprisingly, Chess meeting you had nothing to do with his secret life. He was walking his dog ("NOT MY DOG, HE JUST HANGS AROUND, AND NOBODY ELSE IS TAKING CARE OF HIM!") when Toby got off the leash and ran right over to you. Thankfully, you weren't mad, and seemed to enjoy petting the dog. However, Chess quickly noticed that you had a black eye, which you weakly explained away while you chatted. It looks like Chess has a new target, if he wanted to protect that beautiful smile.
Slasher Underswap Sans (Button): You would meet Button while he was still alive, so pre-doll body. However, like the regular Chucky, he was a criminal before his death. He met you while he was staking out a potential hit, a large store where you happened to be shopping. He got so engrossed in talking to you that he completely forgot about his job! Sadly, that store is also where he was killed. After his death, when you happened to walk into the doll shop, his heart skipped a beat. If he had one, that is. You will be his, he lost you once, it's not going to happen again.
Slasher Underswap Papyrus (Strings): Strings was always very charismatic, but not much of a social butterfly. He only met you after he began making dolls, after his brother's death. You both happened to be shopping at the same craft store, and Strings could practically feel himself falling for you when he saw you smile. While he couldn't muster the courage to talk to you, he followed you home after, completely forgetting about his errands! Don't worry, he'll formally meet you soon. He just has to make everything perfect.
Slasher Underfell Sans (Butcher): Your "meet cute" with Butcher is a classic final girl situation. You had been camping, and he had killed the rest of your group, leaving only you. He had his machete raised, about to kill you, but....you just looked so cute! You were trying to be brave, even though he was covered in your friends' blood. You held up a stick, face contorted with rage, and...well, he fell for you! That cute little face trying to fight back fear and be brave was just so cute! He'd have to keep you for himself. He wanted to see that cute face twisted up into other expressions~
Slasher Underfell Papyrus (Lucid): Like Button, Lucid knew you while he was still alive. He had a crush on you, even though he was far too proud to ever admit it. You lived next door to each other, and Noir would always try to show off whenever he got the chance. After he died, he searched endlessly to try and find your dreams. Once he found you, he began to follow you in your dreams every night. He's not sure if you've ever noticed the skeleton that appears to you every night. No matter what, you're the only one in town who never has nightmares.
Slasher Swapfell Sans (Rue): It was supposed to just be a regular job for Rue. He was going to kill you if you couldn't let go of your regrets, nothing crazy. Once you were able to let go successfully, though, he couldn't stop coming back. There was something...magnetic about you. He would watch you from the shadows, trying hard to think of something to say. Maybe he'll find a reason to get close to you again. For now though, he'll just watch you enjoy your life free from regret.
Slasher Swapfell Papyrus (Creeps): Like his brother, he's way too shy to talk to you. That could also be because he's a hermit who lives in his and his brother's derelict old house. But also because he's shy. When he met you, you were trying to help out a neighbor, whose cat ran into his yard. He was originally going to kill you for trespassing, but...just look at you! You're so sweet to help your neighbor, and the way your brows furrowed when you were worried is just adorable! He's not ashamed to admit that he followed you home and watched you the rest of the night. Don't worry, next Halloween, he's going to make sure to bring you home with him, where you belong. Then you can both be truly happy.
Hey hey hey. Welcome to my Undertale fanfic rec because I felt like I needed to share my google doc of fixations bonanza to the public. This post is structured like a mess but the works sure ain’t but it might leave you a mess instead! (is that one mess too many?)
Here we go,,
Reference key
Complete : []
Incomplete : <>
Oneshot : O
Long fic (100k+) : L
Favourite : !
I daydream about this on a daily basis: !!
[] O Infinite, and Without by GibbousLunation
He’d learned everything about everyone, learned how to play along and say just the right things. It went on for years, as far as his notes calculated. And then suddenly, it stopped.
Or, the one where Frisk throws a party.
!! L No Rain by Digi_Wears_Goggles
They had made it to the surface and that was great. Then again, Sans had thought that a couple times already and it hadn't saved him from waking up with no stars in the end.
After countless resets, Sans finally has a breakdown and leaves town, which isn't exactly surprising. The real question is if he'll let anyone else pick up the pieces.
[] O a place to rest my head by orphan_account
"once the taller skeleton had left the room, sans had taken the plate and given him a generous mug of hot chocolate in exchange, with an apologetic smile on his face and a “he’s getting better. it’s a work in progress.”
or, the one where grillby has a terrible, awful crush on sans just like the rest of us
!! L <> Never a Lovely So Real by Kaesa
The city of Ebott, 193X. The market's down, the crime rate's up, and Sans is just trying to make a buck and keep an eye on his brother by working for the Dreemurr crime family. But after the Dreemurrs rescue a human child from their rival gang, the Flower Boys, Sans soon finds himself in way over his head.
(Well. Not that that's hard.)
[] O Truth is a Stranger by perniciousLizard
Little by little, bit by bit, piece by piece, the truth comes out. Honesty isn't easy when it is only going to make everyone miserable to hear it. There are a lot of things for Sans to practice being honest about, if he can convince himself it's worth the effort. Grillby may even have a secret of his own.
! <> Forward, Back by perniciousLizard
Knowing what’s going to happen doesn’t mean Sans can stop it. Maybe he could’ve put it off forever. Sans decides to go.
[] O To HoPe Again by SilvermistAnimeLover
Papyrus knew something was wrong with his brother—people didn't drop their HP Cap for good reasons, after all. But last he'd checked it was much higher than ONE. With terror in his marrow and his brother staying stubbornly silent about whatever was going on, Papyrus decided it was time to call in the cavalry, because he would be damned if he stood back and watched his brother Fall Down and Dust without doing anything.
OR
Papyrus realizes that being on the Surface hasn't helped his brother's crippling depression, because his HP is still 1. So he decides to bring the others in on his brother's stats to try to help.
[] hole by rhyssands
Sans can't tell him the truth, no matter how badly he wants to. Papyrus doesn't remember Gaster.
(And that's Sans's fault. Gaster has been erased from the timeline, from Papyrus's memories, because of Sans.)
[] ! Shortcut and Paste by UndertaleThingem
Sans' shortcuts stop working.
... Sort of.
What happens instead presents a unique opportunity for self-reflection.
But he's just going to use it for pranks.
[] ! O Feathers of the Past by WrittenKinzy18
All monsters had wings. They were an extension of the soul, an important part of their lives, each set unique to every monster. Just because most couldn't often use them to fly Underground didn't mean they didn't use them at all. Whether it was fighting, flying, or just to express themselves and their emotions, most monsters loved to show them off.
Most monsters.
Sans doesn't show his wings. No one had really questioned him before, but now, on the Surface for the last time, he made a promise to his brother. He isn't one to break a promise.
[] O How to Worry Far too Many People at Once by Sleeping by Pez_z
Sure enough, he had several missed calls. He'd slept through the buzzing for quite a bit.
[14 Missed Calls From 'coolest little babybones']
[8 Missed Calls From 'fish']
[2 Missed Calls From 'tori ]:) - Please Keep The Little Face, It Is Necessary']
There were a number of voicemails, and Sans only felt a slimmer of guilt before logic kicked in.
No-one would remember this.
!! [] O Learned Helplessness by undertalefa
He told Sans, one day, what it meant. “Learned helplessness is the docile behavior a person exhibits after experiencing repeated negative stimuli that are completely out of their own control. Imagine,” He continued, “living through an experience so harrowing over and over and over without any means of stopping it.”
His dad then laughed. “The thought terrifies me.”
!! [] L Serif One by samlysam
Red has lived with his brother, Edge, for years at their newest foster home. He's made a few friends, ones he sees on the regular. And he's told Undyne and Alphys that they can bring over friends of their own anytime they want. They'd never taken him up on that offer before.
Now, Alphys comes over with a new friend. His name is Sans.
He's weird. Red doesn't mind, but when Sans runs out in the middle of movie night it raises some red flags. Is Sans okay? Probably not. But is it Red's place to care?
!! [] L It's Raining Right Here by kaliawai512
Gaster loves his sons. He loves Sans, his budding young scientist, energetic, dedicated, and ready to change the world. He loves Papyrus, his sensible, supportive, caring boy who still makes sure all of them eat three square meals and get enough sleep. He loves them more than anything else in the world, and all he wants is for them to have the life they always deserved.
No matter what it t͚̫͔a̛̗̤͖̪͓̠̱͞ͅk̡̙̖̫̲̩͍͔̺̹̕e͓̤͘͜ş̪͍̺̗̕.
! [] L A Year Every Minute by rattlemeoldbones
Dr. W. D. Gaster is the royal scientist, working directly under King Asgore. After the monsters are sealed underground he is presented with new challenges. Food, water, power, all of these things are a far cry from the endless war machines he had designed on the surface. However, Gaster is eager to get back to the surface, to see the stars again. Despite the King's disapproval, the good doctor decides to take matters into his own hands…
[] Another Medium by RumonGray
Surface life proves to be about as great as it can be, but for two brothers, something threatens to pull everything apart. Sans isn't happy, and won't let anybody in, leaving Papyrus to feel slightly less great than usual.
Why? Wasn't this their "happy ending?"
Smells like something is wrong.
! L [] Butterscotch and Bones by kaliawai512
Toriel promised herself she would never leave the Ruins. She had to stay there, to make sure that if a human fell, she could care for them - even if she couldn't stop them from going to their deaths in time. But now and then, leaving is inevitable. The Ruins have only so many resources, after all. This time, before she heads Home from her latest expedition, she decides to stop and check in on the asocial Royal Scientist who was once her good friend.
She doesn't find him.
She finds two other someones instead.
Based on the "momplates" AU of Zarla's "Handplates."
! L <> War Crimes by Zeragii
The reconciliation of monsters and humans is a slow process, but one that Frisk has very high hopes for. With Negotiations underway, and a future spreading out before them, she can only believe that their happy ending has finally played out to fruition. But when Sans, still haunted by the fear of the resets, takes matters into his own hands as a means of 'keeping his family safe', he unwittingly sends them all spiraling down toward a dangerous conclusion.
When a happy ending is all at once a nightmare, Frisk and her family are faced with either saving one of their own, or saving the world as they know it. And saving both might not be an option.
! [] O it's your best life (if it's the life that you're living right now) by Taliax
Through messages saved to Sans's phone, Queen Alphys gets a glimpse at lives that might have been. With so many possibilities... how did this timeline go so wrong?
!! [] L How to SAVE the World by talkingsoup
The end of the game isn't the end of the story.
!! <> L Sugarless Milk Chocolate by starrylitme
“I’m really tired, so... You win, kid. I give up.”
And, as awful as it is, those words are liberating.
(In which Chara really needs a new method of making friends to murder with. Granted, this method they're going with might just work. Vaguely. Like, they have their moments at least. Circumstances are still pretty terrible, but it's still something.)
(Also known as "Wow isn't that story title cute. Yeah uh, this story isn't very cute in context.")
!! [] O Frisk Learns Some New Words by Rakkogaki
When Frisk doesn't appear from the Ruins after months of waiting, Sans starts to see changes in the Undergroud that had never had time to happen before. The one that concerned him most was Asgore's latest proclamation:
Dangerous puzzles had to be replaced or destroyed.
Sans could care less about the puzzles; the problem is, now people actually expect him to do his job.
A stroke of ingenuity hits Sans while he laments the state of things at his post: a brilliant new way to do as little as possible while still working. He comes up with a system, and the system works.
Until it doesn't.
[] O He Says He Loves Me by reflectionsofalex
In all honesty, the pain should mean nothing, right? Every moment of suffering saved countless lives, so Sans should have no reason to complain, right? His father was doing this out of love… right?
! [] O Five times Papyrus was Very Great (and the times he is still just as great, but needs a reminder) by The_Birds_And_Bees
Most days, Papyrus is very aware that he is very, very great.
But there are some days where...Papyrus does not feel very great at all. Which does not mean he is not great, he simply- does not feel so. Or perhaps he simply isn’t.
Hi! It's the guy from the Wingdings's savior complex ask. I'll just use this emoji 🍊 to sign off because i have a feeling i'd be talking here more.
Really loved your take on Wingdings's background in my last ask! I'm pretty fixated on his character as anyone can tell, and i got inspired again.
Wingdings must be quite smart, if not the "smartest" among the gang when it comes to mechanical engineering, judging by how he designed "The Core" and presumably was well-acquainted with nearly all the lab equipment where he worked.
So i find the idea that Wingdings engineering something out of nothing to be very funny, a genius is a kind of madness after all.
I also think that he took part in the containment of the six human souls, as it was part of an agreement with asgore. I wonder if he felt regretful.
Ps. Thank you for answering my last ask! Phenomenal writing. I'll probably ask a few more times.. Anything to ramble about Wingdings's character haha.
-🍊
Definitely the smartest, if we look at the fact that he literally designed a machine that powers everything for an entire civilization, and he was probably still just a fresh-out teenager while doing so.
Along with that, he became the youngest royal scientist, starting extremely early with him showing his talents to king Asgore Dreemurr and queen Toriel, impressing them thoroughly.
While the king was more openly highlighted to be happy and excited over his knowledge and talent, Toriel was the one who, while still impressed, seemed to carry something else in her demeanor. Something that could almost be described as hesitation. Maybe even worry.
Before Wingdings could fully take notice of it, the king had already reached his hand out and shook his, congratulating him and expressing how happy he was to have someone like him work for them.
He is definitely the smartest in the sense that he can perform and complete extremely difficult tasks without slowing down, think through things quickly, and continue functioning under pressure even when most people probably could not.
Designing something that powers an entire CIVILIZATION alone already says enough about that. Especially considering how young he was while doing it.
Though I would not say the same when it comes to the more mental and caring parts of his life.
Because of the fact he had practically abandoned his own childhood for Sans and Papyrus, he never properly learned things when it came to himself. He was really young when those sorts of things should have been developing for him, but that never properly happened. The war cut through that before it really had the chance to. Instead of learning how to take care of himself, how to rest, or how to treat himself kindly, his focus became narrowed onto responsibility, work, survival, and making sure his brothers were okay.
Sure, he still had to focus on many different things in the lab to keep everything functioning properly, but things like self care or helping himself slowly became pushed lower and lower on the list. The deeper he threw himself into work, the more those things started feeling like “smaller” and “less important” problems to him. And if they were unimportant, then why should he waste time worrying about them?
The only thing he really focused on because of the situation they were in was work. Perform well. Get the job done. Raise Sans and Papyrus.
And while they did not want to accept him at first because of how young he was, seeing how desperate he was to provide for his little brothers eventually made them agree, even through their hesitation.
And they were not hesitant for no reason.
Yes, he was young, but he was also extremely talented. Becoming a royal scientist at such a young age felt like a dream come true to him. Finally being able to do what he loved while also being able to provide for his brothers.
And what if he slept less because of it? He barely slept properly anyway, so what did it matter?
At first, the work was manageable.
Normal reports. Simpler tasks. Things he could finish quickly and professionally.
But the more he became leaned into his work, the more things began changing.
The tasks became more dangerous. More exhausting. More mentally draining. And the more he progressed, the more he slowly started realizing what he had truly gotten himself into.
The realization hit him hard.
Without even fully processing it, panic immediately started building inside of him.
Did he not remember why he had taken this job in the first place? Was this not supposed to help his brothers live a normal life? Was he really about to lose himself over a few dangerous experiments and endless tasks?
Even while continuing to perform everything professionally, fear and stress slowly started building louder and louder inside his mind. But he did not fully notice just how loud his own thoughts had become. His mind talked nonstop, day and night without stopping.
He was scared.
He was stressed.
He was exhausted.
He felt like he was about to puke...
He could barely even remember the last time he had properly slept in an actual bed.
At first, he tried ignoring it. Tried forcing himself to stay together. Tried getting some proper sleep instead of staying in the lab constantly. Tried laying in bed and pretending not to notice the blood stains and dust covering his coat after another long shift.
But before he even fully realized it, all those emotions slowly started fading again.
Or maybe being pushed down so deeply that he stopped allowing himself to feel them properly at all.
And after that, the only thing really left was the work.
The only thing that remained within his mind
And for once, his mind wasn't messy, nor loud.
It just..normally reminded him of what needs to be done.
Complete the tasks professionally.
Do not waste time.
Do not slack off.
Thats it..
After all, he had a king and queen relying on him. An entire civilization depending on him. And surely Sans and Papyrus could manage on their own for a day or two if he stayed at the lab longer.
He could always just fall asleep against the cold surface of his desk instead.
EXTRA MEXTRA LONG TAGLIIIST HERE IT COOOOOMES!!!!!!!!!!
@keytakis
Gaster gang' amazingly talented creator is @bun-bunmuse BLESS THEIR SOUL!!! GO SUPPORT THEM <333
(story by Mod Secret, art on standby due to technical difficulties)
Before Sans had a moment to even react to Papyrus’s new plan, he found himself unwillingly bouncing along as the younger skeleton stuffed him back into his battle body and began gallivanting further into the jungle.
“Wh-Whoa! Pap! Hold on a second!” Sans’s voiced wobbled along with the rest of his body.
“Of course! Why didn’t I think of it in the first place?” Papyrus was off in his own head again, as the exciting plan unraveled in his mind. “A magical curse obviously requires a magical cure! And I’ve never been anywhere more magical in my life!”
“Magical and also dangerous,” Sans reminded him gently. “We probably shouldn’t mess with anything here unless we know for sure what it does.”
“Well, we already know the rainwater mixing with that red plant caused at least SOME movement,” Papyrus reasoned. “Who knows what else we could discover around here?”
“I don’t know, bro,” Sans replied hesitantly. “With everything that we’ve learned about this place, it doesn’t really seem like anything around here would be willing or able to help us.”
Papyrus stopped, suddenly pulling Sans from his battle body to give him a pitiful look.
“Oh, please Sans?” he implored. “I’ve just got to try and fix this. I know we can find some kind of cure if we just work hard enough!”
Sans instinctively tried to give Papyrus a look of doubt, it was too easy to forget that he still couldn’t control his facial features while still in doll form. But it wasn’t like he could have held it together by the look that Papyrus was giving him. It was the same puppy-dog expression that the younger skeleton always gave him whenever he wanted something from him, but this time there was a hint of remorse in his sockets. Sans could really tell that Papyrus still felt a twinge of guilt for his transformation, and he wanted to make things right by fixing him. The older skeleton let out a deep sigh.
“Ohh … I guess we can at least try a few things and see what happens,” he gave in.
Papyrus’s entire face lit up almost instantly. He gripped Sans tightly in his arms leaping up for joy.
“YES!” he cheered. “Thank you, brother! I promise, the Great Papyrus shall not let you down!”
Sans couldn’t help but giggle at his brother’s childlike reaction, despite being squished within his bony arms.
“Heh, I know you won’t, bro.” Sans’s voice was slightly muffled as he was pressed against his brother’s chest. Thankfully, he was pulled away before actually losing any air.
"Come along, Sans!" Papyrus quickly slipped the doll back into his battle body and trotted along further into the jungle. "We've got ingredients to gather!"
As Papyrus trotted through the oddly-colored landscape like an overly-excited racehorse, Sans's ragdoll body bounced along, uncontrollably banging against Papyrus's collarbone and shirt. While his brother's top didn't offer much friction, Sans couldn't help but let out a stifled grunt whenever he banged up against the hard bones.
"Whoooaoooaooaoaoa!!" His voice warbled up and down as he was needlessly tossed about. "Paaaaaap! Slow dooooown!!"
Papyrus actually did stop for a split-second. Sans felt his brother's chest suddenly contract as he let out a little gasp.
"Sans, look!" the younger skeleton exclaimed.
But Sans couldn't see what he was seeing, his head had face-planted directly into Papyrus's shirt collar.
"Papyrus!"
Sans tried to get his attention, but his voice was muffled by the fabric. He didn't stay that way for long. As Papyrus practically leapt forwards, the force slammed Sans back into Papyrus's collarbone and he unintentionally slid downwards into the battle body.
"Sans! It's perfect!"
Sans felt Papyrus shift as he picked up the thing he was excited about.
"Pap, I can't see any—Whoa!"
Another uncontrollable jolt told Sans that Papyrus had taken off running again. It was clear that the eager skeleton was, yet again, stuck in his own mindset and wasn't really paying attention to his brother's predicament. Though, Sans had to admit, even though he was still being shaken up, being stuck all the way inside the battle body left him less likely to bang around as violently as he had before. So he went along with it, not bothering to tell Papyrus that he couldn't see what was happening.
Papyrus jogged on for a solid ten minutes occasionally stopping to admire something new and scoop it up in his arms excitedly. All the while, Sans was getting more and more curious about what his brother was finding, while still being on the alert just in case he picked up something dangerous.
"Ooh! Look at this!" Papyrus finally stopped in his tracks.
Sans could tell that his arms were packed to the brim with his newfound treasures. His whole body fell against Papyrus's shirt as the younger skeleton leaned forward to put everything down.
"Sans! This will be a perfect place to … Sans?"
As Papyrus stood back up, he finally noticed that Sans had completely disappeared into his battle body. He reached in to pull him out, a perplexed expression crossed his face.
"Brother, were you down there the whole time?"
"Eh, only since the beginning," Sans replied dryly, though the fresh air felt better against his body.
"Well, look what I found!" Papyrus exclaimed turning his brother around. "This place will be perfect for our little setup!"
Sans looked to see that they were standing in front of a large pond, the same clear blue color as the flash flood that had swept through the forest. It was maybe a mile if measured all the way around, Sans could see everything on the other side clear as day. They were still very much in the heart of the jungle as the large treetops still hovered all around them. Sitting right beside the edge of the pond was an abnormally flat boulder where Papyrus had placed all of his findings like a makeshift table. Sans was able to get a good look at everything his brother had found in this strange place.
He recognized the red banana leaf that dyed the murky rainwater the same crimson shade as the leaf it was collected in. Sitting beside it was a huge daffodil flower, the color was correct enough but it's size had almost completely overpowered Papyrus's head. To make matters stranger, there was a deep golden liquid that was dripping from the center of the unusual flower. It has the consistency of syrup and sparkled endlessly in the newfound sunlight. A much smaller leaf was sitting on the other end of the red banana leaf. The leaf itself wasn't that strange, but what was collected inside of the smaller plant was a strange sparkling mud. It was an eggplant color with tiny pieces of what looked like chocolate chips sprinkled in it's folds. Sans deeply hoped that Papyrus wasn't expecting him to eat it. Despite it's bright color, the mud-like texture grossed the older skeleton out.
Another odd-looking plant Sans had noticed sitting near the edge of the boulder was a thick root-plant. The shape reminded Sans of a ginger root, however the colors were as strange as could be. It was an odd zig-zag type of pattern with deep purple, pink and even green hues all mixed together. There was a large bell plant just off to the side of the ginger root. It was nearly the same size as the daffodil, maybe just a half-inch smaller. It was a beige color, but was speckled with deep blue spots. Like the daffodil, it, too, was leaking a sparkling golden substance, only this time it had come in a powder-like form, Sans could see the sparkles blowing away as a light breeze swept in. Finally, sitting on the ground, leaning up against the rock was a coconut. Sans figured that Papyrus must not have been able to sit it on top of the boulder since It kept rolling off. It, too, was off its typical color-model. It was completely white, even down to the little hairs that covered it.
"Wow, you've been busy," Sans said once he was able to look everything over.
"Indeed!” Papyrus agreed.
He gently sat Sans down beneath a tree, leaning him against the trunk so he could still see everything that was happening. As the younger skeleton turned to pick up the coconut, Sans was partially concerned that one of those multi-armed monkeys would swoop in out of nowhere to take him away. At the sudden call of a bird, his eyes shot upwards. But his head wasn't leaning far enough back for him to get a good enough look at the tops of the trees. Keeping his guard up, he glanced over at Papyrus, who had proceeded to use the edge of the large boulder to crack open the white coconut.
"Ooh! Perfect!" he exclaimed.
Inside the coconut was a sloshing green liquid, it, too, sparkled in the sunlight. Sans was beginning to wonder if there was anything in this crazy land that wasn't covered in glitter. Papyrus emptied all the contents of the coconut into one half and left it sitting next to the boulder. He took the other half to the edge of the pond and started filling it up with the cool blue water. Sans noticed that the inside of the strange nut was colored brown, as it was meant to be on the outside. He silently scoffed, knowing that he should have guessed that the colors would be reversed in this weird Wonderland. Sans hadn't even noticed that Papyrus had also gathered a large pile of dry leaves and sticks, until his brother started aggressively rubbing two sticks together in an effort to make a fire.
"I, uh … don't think any of this stuff would make a very good s'more," he teased, watching Papyrus struggle.
After several minutes he sat back up on his knees to wipe a bead of sweat from his forehead.
"Ooh … I sure wish we had some fire magic right about now." He sighed.
"I wish we had any magic right about now," Sans muttered to himself.
Papyrus kept going, eventually after the third round of dry sticks, a small spark caught in the sunlight, igniting a tiny flame to flicker into the makeshift fire pit. Excitedly, Papyrus lightly blew on the flame, causing it to grow and expand.
"Nice work, bro!" Sans encouraged.
After the fire was secured and burning perfectly, Papyrus quickly took the coconut half with the water and placed it over the fire, it almost reminded Sans of a miniaturized version of Dropwart's bubbling cauldron.
"So … what are we planning on doing with that?" Sans asked curiously.
"I'm gonna make you some tea!" Papyrus replied cheerfully.
Sans gulped; he was afraid that one of these 'cures' was going to involve him ingesting something horrible. By the looks of everything gathered on the boulder, he could tell that this was going to be unpleasant.
"Okay." Papyrus stood up and walked over to where he had placed Sans. "Let's start with one that we are at least partially familiar with."
He picked Sans up and laid him on the ground on his back just a few inches from the boulder. Sans watched as Papyrus picked up the red banana leaf and held it directly over his body. He couldn't help but feel a little intimidated, although he trusted Papyrus with his life, it still wasn't a good feeling knowing that he still couldn't move to defend himself if he needed to. That, mixed with the anxiety of not knowing what any of these 'natural remedies' would do, made him all the more nervous.
"We know that a few drops of this mixture caused you to move at least a little bit," Papyrus continued. "So what will happen if we add the whole thing?"
Sans gulped hard as Papyrus began lowering the tip of the leaf down towards his head.
"P-Pap…," he nervously stuttered. "Hold on, just a sec! We don't know if—"
But it was too late. Papyrus gingerly drizzled the entirety of the murky red liquid all over the doll. He was careful to avoid Sans's eyes, but made sure that every last drop of the strange rainwater had covered him all the way up to his toes. Sans moaned uncomfortably as he felt the cold water immediately seep into his doll body. He hated the feeling of getting wet for absolutely no reason, and with no means to shake himself dry or to even to relive the coldness by wrapping his arms around himself made the whole experience beyond unpleasant.
"Well Sans?" Papyrus asked eagerly after tossing the empty leaf away. "What do you think? Can you move?"
Sans tried focusing his will to move through every possible inch of his body. Feeling nothing but more cold drips of water working into his seams, he wasn't sure if he was truly moving or not.
"I…. I dunno?" Sans replied, still trying to ignore the uncomfortable dampness. "Does it look like I'm moving?"
Moving his eyes to examine Sans, Papyrus noted small spastic movements of his smaller appendages like his fingers and toes. His knees shook a little bit, like they were trying to kick themselves upwards, but overall Sans still laid there without much of a change.
"Well … you're twitching a little bit," Papyrus replied, obviously disappointed with the result. "Darn it, I really hoped that would be enough to at least get you on your feet."
Before Sans could respond, he suddenly felt an old familiar tingling in the joints of his doll body. His knees, neck, and underarms were slowly starting to feel the tickling sensation starting to build. Even his elbows, wrists and ankles were starting to become sensitive to it. Giggles started pouring out of him as the sensation bubbled, reaching the point of being unignorable.
"Hrnnk!! Pffffffft—ahahahahaha! Aheeheeheehee! Oh-Oh nohohoho! Hahahaha! Nohohoho!! Not agahahahahain! Heeheeheehee!"
It was roughly the same ticklish sensation that the falling rain had taunted him and Papyrus with earlier. But with the water being trapped inside his doll body and unable to roll off or be wiped away, Sans was stuck with the sensation swirling around the inside of his sensitive seams.
"Aheeheeheeheehee!! P-Pahahahap!! Hahaha!! Pap hehehelp! It—It tihihihihickles!! Hahahaha!!"
"Oh no!" Papyrus gasped. He couldn't understand why the red rain, which had previously been shown to help Sans with movement, was now displaying the same effects as the regular tickling rain. Papyrus picked up the red leaf again, noticing tiny particles of the sparkling substance that was intermixed with the murky gray rain from earlier.
"Huh … maybe it just didn't marinate long enough inside the leaf?" He wondered out loud. Meanwhile, Sans's laughter was beginning to rise in pitch and grow desperate.
"Heeheeheeheehee!! Who—Who cahahahares?! Hahahaha!! J-Juhuhust make it stahahahahap!! Hahahahaha!!"
Papyrus quickly dropped the leaf and hurried back over to Sans's side.
"Okay! Okay! Um … where is it tickling?"
His tone was breathless and panicked. He wasn't sure how he was going to help Sans, so he tried to get a clearer idea as to where the attack was happening on his brother's doll body.
"Ahahahahaha!! My—My—heeheehee!! M-My underahahaharms!! Hahaha!! And—And my kneeheeheeheehees!! Ahahaha!!"
It was so hard for Sans to enunciate while he was being tickled, he didn't want to force himself to explain anymore, he just wanted the horrible sensation to stop.
"Ahahaha! Ihihihihit...It's getting my neheheheheck tohoohoohoo!! Ohohoho gahahad!! Ahahahaha!!"
Sans desperately wanted to scrunch his body up. He doubted it would do anything to stop the tickling rainwater, but he craved to have his ability to physically vent back.
"Okay … is there anywhere that it ISN'T tickling?" Papyrus asked nervously.
"PAPYRUHUHUHUHUS!!" Sans wailed, not wanting to think anymore about his predicament.
"Sans, just tell me, it might give me a clue," the younger skeleton implored.
"Ahahahahaha!! My—My-heeheeheehee!! M-My fahahahace?! Ahahahaha!!" Sans spluttered frantically.
He didn't know why he blurted out that particular body part. Although it was true, he knew he could have chosen a place on him that was more susceptible to tickling, like his feet.
"Face, huh?" Papyrus wondered out loud. "Okay … let's expand on that with a mud mask!"
He quickly reached for the leaf that held the eggplant-colored mud inside. Dipping two fingers in, he scooped up a generous amount before suddenly smearing it all over Sans's face.
"AAGHAHAHAHAHA!! P-Papyruhuhus!! Stahahahap it!!"
Besides the shock of the cool mud abruptly coating his face, he felt the disgusting gritty texture of the strange sapphire rocks starting to scrape against his cheeks. It was an unpleasant sensation mixed in with the tickles that had still not let up on his joints. Papyrus finished painting Sans face before quickly rubbing the remaining residue off onto the ground. He looked at Sans hopefully, suddenly noticing that his laughter was beginning to die down.
"Sans? Is it working?" He asked, his voice sparked with optimism.
"I-I-heeheehee.... I thihink so, heheheheh!" Sans too began to notice that his laughter was faltering, as were the tickling sensations.
At last, he breathed out steadily. He couldn't believe that a strangely-colored mud mask had been the solution to end that ticklish trial. He had gotten used to the coldness, as well as the gritty texture, but he couldn't help but notice his cheekbones starting to feel tight. He was grateful that the tingling had faded from the rest of his body, but he wasn't liking the odd sensation that the mud was giving his face.
"Hey! I think you just blinked!" Papyrus exclaimed, he was certain that he could see his brother's facial expression starting to change for the first time since he had been transformed.
"Really?" Sans eagerly willed his sockets to blink and tried to move the corners of his mouth again. Sure enough, his sockets managed to close and open again, and he could feel that he was back in control of his face.
Papyrus beamed upon seeing Sans being able to control his face again, he was confident that this mud mask was the cure they were looking for.
"Sans! You can move your face! I just knew we would…." He suddenly trailed off as he noticed something odd.
Sans face was moving, but upon a second look Papyrus realized that it was also beginning to swell. He blinked several times trying to understand what was happening. He had seen facial swelling on Undyne from when she had disturbed a nest of irritated Migosps. But facial swelling on a skeleton was impossible since they lacked the skin to do so. He didn't know if this was the further result of Sans being trapped in a doll body, but his face was starting to grow and expand until his head looked as though it were inflating like a balloon.
"Uh … P-Pap?" Sans stuttered as he felt the tightness in his face expanding. "Why does … my face … feel weird?"
He struggled to get the words out as his cheeks puffed up, squishing the corners of his mouth. Papyrus was at a complete loss for words. His jaw practically fell to the floor as he watched his brother's entire head grow bigger and bigger. He almost swore that he could hear the sound of air being pushed into Sans's skull.
As the mud effortlessly slid off of the older skeletons's bulging face, he suddenly realized that gravity no longer had an effect on him. Within moments, his inflated head was beginning to drift upwards, taking his still-lifeless body along with it.
Sans was thrown into an immediate panic as he felt his body starting to lift off the ground. With no means to grab onto anything or to stop his head from turning into a giant balloon, he let out a terrified yell for help.
"Oh no!! SANS!!"
Snapping out of his horrified trance, Papyrus leapt towards his brother. He quickly grabbed ahold of the doll's feet, immediately anchoring it back down to the ground. Papyrus managed to keep him secured there for only a moment before a strong pull against gravity began forcefully lifting them both towards the sky. Sans's skull was still inflating with the unseen helium, he could feel his nonexistent facial muscles stretching thin with every passing second as his head continued to expand. He let out a panicked yell before willing his face to remain still, suddenly afraid that he could potentially pop his own skull.
"Whoa!! Hey!! Get back down here!!"
Thinking quickly, Papyrus released one of Sans's legs to reach out to grab the flat boulder still containing his collection of ‘cures’. He strained as Sans's ballooned skull began pulling him harder and harder towards the sky. His fingers slipped dangerously close to the edge, he knew he wouldn't be able to hang on for much longer. Desperately, his sockets darted across the top of the stone, frantically scanning each and every item, hopeful that something useful would catch his eye. As the brotherly balloon pulled him just an inch away from the edge, the younger skeleton made a blind grab for what was the closest to him before being abruptly yanked away from the ground.
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!!" Papyrus wailed as he and Sans practically rocketed into the air.
It took no time for them to ascend above the colorful treetop as Sans's head continued to inflate. Papyrus looked down at his fist to realize that he had grabbed the large bell plant that had been leaking the strange golden powder from its center. Unsure of what else to do, Papyrus yanked his arm up, hoping to spread some of the bell plant's powder onto Sans's enlarged head. But a sudden gust of wind changed the trajectory of the dust's course, causing the glittering powder to completely splatter all over Sans's ribcage.
As the wind started to blow them away from the pond, Papyrus could hear a strange crackling sound. He looked up to see the dust on Sans's ribs starting to fizzle and burst like odd popping candy. Sans felt the corners of his mouth instinctively starting to turn up. Despite him being too fearful to move any part of his face, he couldn't help but let out a subtle snicker. The sensation of the sizzling powder gave off a sharp tickling sensation, and before he could convince himself to ignore it, he burst out laughing.
Papyrus had shut his eyes, too fearful to look down and see how far off the ground they had risen. But once he noticed that the air around them had become unnaturally still, he peeked open one socket, realizing that the two of them had completely stopped ascending into the sky. In fact, it was safe to say that Papyrus could sense Sans's body starting to gently descend back down towards the treetops. It was slow and steady; if Papyrus had kept his sockets shut he wouldn't have been able to tell. But sure enough, the jungle started to grow closer and closer the more gravity took hold.
The strange glittering powder continued to crackle along Sans's ribs, eliciting sharp squeaks and inhales from the laughing skeleton. More than anything, he wanted Papyrus to help brush off whatever cursed ‘cure’ he had placed on his vulnerable ribcage, but he was becoming too hysterical to enunciate. In an effort to get his brother's attention, Sans took in a sharp breath and held it, trying his best to block out the sensation of the popping dust.
Papyrus suddenly noticed that they had stopped floating down, and were now practically frozen in midair just barely above the trees. Subtly panicking, Papyrus kicked his legs in an effort to try and get them to continue the journey downwards, but nothing he tried would get them to budge. His mind raced, trying to both come up with a new solution, as well as try to figure out what had made them stop. A muffled squeal from Sans gave him the answer.
Sans's laughter was the key! The more the older skeleton laughed, the further down they dropped. Almost like he was letting the hot air out of the balloon that his skull had become. But now that he was purposefully holding back, they had completely stopped. Papyrus feared what would happen if they stayed like this; a strong enough breeze could completely blow them off course, sending them further into this maddening place. He had to get his brother to laugh again. He glanced up to Sans's doll body, to his horror, the effects of the crackling powder were beginning to fade. He realized he had no choice.
"Ohh … sorry, Brother," Papyrus muttered.
He reached his free hand up towards Sans's ribs and began to desperately scribble his fingers. Sans burst out laughing in an instant.
"BWAHAHAHAHAHAHA!! P-PAPYRUHUHUHUHUS!! WHAT ARE YOU DOHOHOHOHOING?! STAHAHAHAHAP!!"
As much as it pained Papyrus to force his brother to laugh like this, he gasped with joy when he realized that they had resumed floating down towards the ground.
"AHAHAHA!! PAPYRUHUHUHUHUHUHUS!!" Sans wailed, the sensory overload from his inflated face and the torturing of his ribs leaving him completely oblivious to what was happening around them.
"Sorry, Sans!" Papyrus repeated louder over his brother's laughter. "I promise, this is for your own good!"
With Papyrus speeding the process along, it took less than a minute for the pair to finally reach the ground. Papyrus collapsed onto the grass, practically rolling around in it with relief. In the process of at last regaining gravity, the younger skeleton had released Sans, leaving his doll body to flop down just a few feet from the edge of the pond.
"Oh my goodness!" Papyrus breathed out. "I was so afraid we were going to float all the way back to that Haunted House or … Sans?"
Papyrus's relief quickly turned to worry when he saw Sans's doll body. The powder had, at last, ceased its effect on him, but the older skeleton was far too quiet considering what had just happened. Getting up to get a closer look, Papyrus's soul just about leapt clear out of his ribcage — the doll's body was missing a head!
"SAAAAAAAAAAANS!!"
Papyrus's terrified screech echoed through the jungle causing a ruckus of wild animals to scurry away in fear. In a blind panic, Papyrus began searching all over the ground for his brother's missing head. He checked over every rock and stray branch, even diving head-first into the cool blue water thinking that it possibly sank to the bottom of the pond. After resurfacing, Papyrus splashed around, sockets scanning the tiny waves he made in the water.
"Don't worry, Sans! Don't worry!" he fretted manically. "I'll find your head, I promise! It's gonna be around here somewhere!"
"Bro?"
A squeaky little voice immediately snapped Papyrus out of his blind panic.
"Papyrus? What the heck are you screaming about, bro?"
The sound came from the edge of the pond, Papyrus's face snapped towards the noise, half-expecting to find a floating doll head. Instead, the sound was coming directly from the doll's body. A tiny Sans was emerging from right out of its shirt. He was no longer a doll, but had instead shrunk to the size of an inch.
"What even happened, Pap? Didn't you hear me screaming at you?"
His voice was high-pitched and squeaky, but Papyrus didn't care one bit. A mixture of relief and elation poured into his bones as he scrambled back to shore, beyond grateful to see his brother alive and — for the most part — unharmed.
"Sans!! You're okay!!"
Sans blinked in utter confusion, at last noticing his brother's sudden change in height.
"Whoa!" he exclaimed, a rush of fear hitting him as Papyrus charged towards him. "What happened to you?! Why are you so HUGE?!"
"Uh…." Papyrus's face sank. He wasn't sure how to tell Sans that it wasn't him that had changed shape.
The sudden shift in his brother's expression caused Sans to pause. At last he took a look at the world around him. The trees now looked like they could reach over the top of Mt. Ebbot. The pond now looked to be the size of an ocean the way it stretched out before him, now the other side looked like it was an entire world away. He could no longer see over the top of the flat boulder, as it now towered over him like an enormous building. But it wasn't until he turned to see the remains of his former doll body behind him that it finally sunk in … he had shrunk!
"WHOA!! WHAT THE—?! WHAT IN THE STARS?!"
Sans scrambled back so hard he fell backwards onto his tailbone. A series of stuttering exclamations spilling from his teeth as his eyes darted around his now enormous surroundings.
"What happened?!" he finally squeaked. "Look at me! I'm the size of an ant!"
"Well, I mean … it's not really THAT terrible…," Papyrus gently offered, a hand reaching to rub behind his skull. "I think you're more-so the size of a mouse actually."
"Papyrus!" Sans wailed, gripping onto his skull with both hands. "That isn't helping! You gotta get me back to normal!"
“Alright, alright! Hang on a second!”
Papyrus rushed back over to the boulder, quickly grabbing the abnormally large daffodil. Trying to contain the syrupy sparkling liquid that was still oozing out of its core, Papyrus carefully took it back to Sans, surprising the older skeleton by abruptly yanking away the decapitated doll body and setting the leaky daffodil down in front of him. The sight of the sparkling syrup immediately made Sans begin to cower. Still sitting on the ground, he quickly tried to squirm himself away from the gigantic plant.
“Whoa! Whoa! Whoa! What are you gonna do with that?!” His voice came out sounding squeaky and terrified.
Not even fully registering his brother’s fearful tone, Papyrus carefully dipped a finger into the glittering liquid, scooping out a decent amount before holding it up to the now trembling Sans.
“Don’t worry Sans, I figured it out!” Papyrus assured him, holding up a hand to stop his brother from scooting back any further. “We went for your head last time and that didn’t work. So this time … we go the opposite direction!”
Without any more warning, Papyrus abruptly spread the golden syrup onto Sans’s kicking feet. The liquid was unusually warm and sticky, Sans winced with disgust as he felt the disgusting substance seep between his toes.
“Aaaagh! Ew! Papyrus!!” he squeaked. He wanted to rub his soles into the dirt, but didn’t want to risk anything else getting stuck to them.
“Okay, so it’s not tickling,” Papyrus analyzed out loud. “I think we might be on the right—”
Papyrus was cut off as Sans’s feet suddenly grew to their regular size again. This would have been exactly what the two of them had hoped for … had it not been for the rest of Sans’s body remaining miniscule. Sans let out a squeaky growl, he tried to give Papyrus a frustrated glare, but he couldn’t see over the top of his now overly-sized feet. Papyrus, immediately sensing Sans’s disapproval, looked away timidly.
“Um … well…,” he muttered. “I mean … it could be a lot worse….”
WHOOSH!!
In an instant, Sans’s ankles felt an intense itching sensation. The itching soon sprouted into an odd cluster of fluffy white feathers that sprung up from his ankle bones and surrounded his feet like a lion’s mane.
“Papyrus!!” Sans immediately blamed the cruel transformation on his brother’s ironic choice of words.
“W-Well…,” Papyrus stammered, the beginning of a bright orange blush starting to form on his cheeks. “That’s not … too bad?”
A sudden breeze blew through the feathery mane. Before either skeleton had a chance to form a reaction, the feathers moved on their own, curling in on themselves to flitter and swipe against Sans’s over-sized feet.
“EEEEHEEHEEHEEK!! AHAHAHAHAHA!! P-PAPYRUHUHUS!! SHUT UHUHUHUHP!! HAHAHAHA!!” Sans shrieked, frantically clawing at his ankles.
Papyrus yelped in surprise at the feathers suddenly moving on their own. Once he realized what they were doing to Sans, he quickly ran back to the boulder. Rapidly running out of ingredients, Papyrus grabbed the first thing he saw; the coconut half that contained the slushy green liquid.
He made a mad dash back over to Sans, but quickly lost his footing and tripped, accidentally spilling the entire green solution onto Sans. Sans shrieked in surprise from the sudden splash of cold liquid consuming his entire body, but thankfully this put an end to the tickling feathers just as quickly as it had started.
Papyrus spat out a mouthful of dirt that had accidentally gathered in his jaw. He quickly got up to dust himself off when he heard Sans’s panicked voice.
“Oh my gosh! Oh my—Papyrus? PAPYRUS!!”
“Sans, it’s okay. I didn’t get hurt,” Papyrus assured, still brushing dirt off of his front.
“PAP! HELP!!” Sans yelled, his voice suddenly returning to its normal pitch.
Papyrus gasped once he finally looked up. Sans’s head, arms and legs had grown back to their normal size, but his entire midsection had blown up like a balloon. It was akin to when his head had inflated, only this time it was much MUCH bigger. At first Papyrus feared that Sans was going to take off into the sky again, but this time the inflated part of Sans’s body flopped around on the ground, almost acting like a gigantic water balloon.
“Oh no!” Papyrus shrieked, rushing to Sans’s side. “Sans are you alright?!”
“Dude, I’m a giant beach ball! What do you think?!” Sans snapped back, careful to not flop around too much, as he had no control over where his uninflated body part would land.
“Okay, okay…,” Papyrus replied, now with a tone of panic. He quickly moved over to Sans’s side. Sans leaned his head as far as he could to try and see what his brother was planning next.
“Bro! What are you doing?” he asked nervously.
Papyrus readied himself, he was hopeful that this would be the same situation as when Sans’s face had become a giant balloon.
“It’s okay Sans, all you have to do is laugh, and then you’ll deflate,” he explained breathlessly.
“Wait what?!” Sans exclaimed, suddenly trying to flail his arms away uselessly.
Without waiting for a proper reaction, Papyrus immediately dug his scribbling fingers into the side of Sans’s bulbous body. But to his utter shock, the tickling sensation was redirected to the side of his own body.
“NYAAAAGHAHAHA!! WHAT—WHAHAT THE—?!”
Completely startled at this, Papyrus jumped back away from Sans, gripping at his sides defensively.
“What?! What happened?!” Sans asked nervously. Fearful of what could possibly be worse than this predicament he found himself in.
After rubbing the tingles out of his body, Papyrus curiously poked into Sans’s ribs, jumping back in startlement as the sharp tickling sensation once again redirected onto his own ribs.
“This is so strange!” he replied, sounding flabbergasted. “When I go to tickle you, the sensation gets passed on to me!”
Sans’s sockets widened at this information. A subtle smirk spread across his face as he was reminded of when Papyrus got after his ribs while he was still being affected by that popping dust.
“Oh really?” he replied, a cocky smirk decorating his tone.
Papyrus gulped, he knew exactly what that tone meant.
“Sans … no! Don’t you dare! Don’t you even—NYAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!”
Sans’s arms scribbled and dug into his own ribcage, it was the only part of his he could actually reach, but it was more than enough to get a reaction out of Papyrus. The younger skeleton clutched onto his unbearably ticklish ribs, doubling over with laughter and nearly collapsing to the ground.
“No way! This is too much fun!” Sans teased. He tried to reach up to tickle other places, but working around his enormous body was proving to be too much of a challenge, so instead he kept his fingers tickling around the ribs.
“SAHAHAHAHANS!! HEEHEEHEEHEE!!” Papyrus finally fell to his knees, totally weak from laughter.
He glanced up to notice the water in the other half of the coconut starting to boil over the fire. It was finally ready to be made into tea. He slapped his hand into the dirt in an effort to show Sans he was ‘tapping out’.
“PLEHEHEHEHEASE!” he begged. “NOHOHOHO MOHOHORE!! IHEEHEE’M SERIOUS!! AHAHAHA!!”
Sensing his brother’s sincerity, Sans lifted his fingers off of his ribcage.
“Alright, alright,” he conceded. “But seriously now … how are we gonna fix this?”
Panting lightly, Papyrus pulled himself up and wandered back over to the fire. Sans watched as his brother used another, much smaller boulder to crush the strange-looking ginger root into a paste. Papyrus gingerly poured the squished root into the boiling water, using a stick to stir the contents together. Using the two empty banana leaves like a pair of oven mitts, he grabbed ahold of the coconut, taking it off the fire and gently blowing on it to cool it down.
“Alright, I think it’s ready!” Papyrus eagerly announced once he sensed the concoction had cooled down.
Sans cringed as Papyrus brought over the muddy-looking brew. It smelled so much like wet dirt, the last thing he wanted was to taste the foul-looking tea.
“Ugh … do I have to?” he groaned.
“Come on Sans, do you want to be a water balloon forever?” Papyrus reasoned.
Sans gritted his teeth in response, but Papyrus continued to push the coconut half closer towards his mouth. Knowing he didn’t have any other option, Sans let out a ragged sigh before opening his mouth to receive the warm murky liquid.
Tears gathered in his sockets almost immediately. It was just as bad as he thought it was going to be. Bitter and earthy, with a dirty gritty texture that nearly caught in his throat. Thankfully, Papyrus only made him drink about half of the disgusting tea before pulling it away. Sans coughed and swallowed hard in an effort to hold back a gag.
“Well? Anything?” Papyrus asked nervously, unsure of what to expect next.
“You mean besides the urge to puke?” Sans answered sarcastically.
He could suddenly feel his body starting to tremble, a direct contrast to the warmth of the liquid that had just entered his body. Harder and harder, his bones shook and rattled, it felt as though he were trapped inside a violent earthquake, but the shaking was only coming from him.
“Whoa! Whoa! What’s happening?! What do I do?!” Papyrus panicked, nearly dropping the coconut containing the tea.
Sans shut his sockets tightly, praying for a brief end to this shaking nightmare. In what felt like lightning striking his body, Sans felt a thunderous rush of wind come crashing down on his head, along with sharp scratches and brisk brushing sensations all along his face and body.
Once it was all over, everything was deathly still. His body had stopped violently shaking, and somehow he had managed to get back onto his feet. But he was still too terrified to open his sockets, utterly fearful of what could have possibly happened next.
“D-Did it … work?” he stammered nervously.
“Um … not exactly!”
Papyrus’s voice was tiny, suddenly sounding far away. Sans became utterly confused … was his brother’s voice coming from … below him? He opened his sockets and looked down. He saw Papyrus, all of a sudden his brother was tiny! The younger skeleton gazed up at him while standing right next to his feet.
At first Sans was certain that Papyrus had somehow managed to shrink himself. But after realizing that he was standing amongst the top of the trees, he realized the awful truth…he had grown to be the size of a giant!
“Well…,” Papyrus shouted up at him. “At least you’re not a balloon anymore!”
Sans slapped his enormous hand over his eyes, completely exasperated with this entire experiment.
“Oh … this is the worst day of my life!” he groaned loudly, the vibration of his voice shaking the trees around him.
Papyrus gazed up sadly at his brother, feeling immense guilt for having put Sans through this awful ordeal. He only wanted to help him get out of the doll body, but he never figured that messing around with all of this unpredictable magic would bring his brother this much grief. He sighed deeply, knowing that there was only one way to make it up to him.
“Correction, Brother!” Papyrus called before finishing off the last of the disgusting murky tea.
Just as Sans had done before him, Papyrus trembled and shook, gritting his teeth as he felt the effects of the potion vibrating his entire system. In an instant, Sans jumped back in startlement, as his younger brother’s height practically exploded over the top of the trees. In a matter of moments, Papyrus stood next to him, now both of them towering over the colorful jungle below.
“It’s the worst day of OUR lives,” Papyrus concluded.
As I’ve said before, I’ve been in a Really Romantic mood lately, and I just wanna…. be with Sans….. ouhghug….. i lov him….. also I just so happen to have written and finished this around valentines day! It’s not a valentine’s fic but. It’s very soft… romantic fluff… hehehee ://>
Ao3 (because it is Longe): https://archiveofourown.org/works/45076489
———————
It was an exciting day.
You tie a white sash around your waist, and tie your hair back. Styling your hair?
The baby blue dress you were wearing was adorable. It was really flattering for your form, and you look like if a flower had spontaneously turned into a human.
A special day.
Sans had asked you on a date. One that he planned out, one that he said was like “what you’d expect from a romance movie. novel. mettaton’s dating ma- no maybe not that one.”
Any date with Sans was a special occasion. Time spent with your wonderful, loving bonefriend was something you cherished. But Sans was putting effort to change things up, to impress you with something new. Not that you needed it, but the fact that he was doing it for you makes your heart flutter.
He said he wouldn’t even teleport for it, that he’d have a special ride for you. You don’t know what he could mean by that… usually you’d assume him to be alluding to teleporting (the first time he’d say that line was when he showed you his teleportation powers. Your jaw had dropped on the floor that first time.), but he already said he wasn’t. You spend your time nervously waiting for him to arrive pondering what kind of ‘ride’ he’s bringing. Of course, Sans never showed interest in vehicles… why would he, if he already has the most efficient method of transfer already, what… ingrained in his very soul? Maybe he borrowed Papyrus’ car? Or… maybe he is planning to surprise you with a car…?
You doubt it. Sans is crafty as much as he is lazy. He strives for convenience.
You don’t doubt however, that Sans was going to be on time. He promised that he’s going to arrive today on time. So you relax on the window-side seat, not looking out of it, as if he was going to come faster if you did, no. You actually relax a bit, not paying attention to the time, and start to snooze a little… woken up by the knocks on your door. You practically bounce off the seat like a spring, opening the door with a smile on your face that somehow gets wider when you see the soft skull of the man you loved so much.
Even better, he was wearing a tux shirt, and long jeans. Sans, mixing up his wardrobe? No.
“Sans!” You waste no time to wrap your arms around him (well, to the best of your ability) in a warm hug.
Look at your handsome man!!!
“are you surprised? i promised,” Sans winks. Sure enough, you fish out your phone and it shows you the lock screen.
“On time, to the dot!” You announce excitedly.
Sans snickers a little. “if you were looking at a clock…”
… “Don’t tell me you knocked right when the second hand made it all click.”
“yes.”
You laugh delightedly at that, wishing you were looking at an analog clock to see that, it would’ve been amazing.
“Well, I say I’m impressed, but… you’ve always been good at being ‘on time’,” You say slyly, as if you were trying to undermine his feat. Sans can see in your smile that you weren’t doing it to be mean. “You’ve been pretty good at keeping your promises to come on time.”
He was on time, sure… but he’d like to cut it close. If this was another date, Sans would come to you just a few seconds before the time he promised he’d take you out somewhere- say, a restaurant, and appear before a very shaken receptionist and tell them about his reservation (that was about to be cancelled).
“you know me. i hate promises, i don’t make them lightly.” Sans makes a solemn expression. “but i always make promises to you. you make it easy for me to keep them.”
… Damn this man, your heart was feeling all sorts of mushy and soft for him before the date’s even gotten off the ground properly.
Sans can’t blame you for having to immediately kiss him (right now!!). In fact, the skeleton seems quite happy to have you furiously kissing him on the teeth.
“You look!! So good!” You say as soon as you’re done attacking him, picking at his shirt. “tux shirt. Simple, but dapper.”
You’re only half-joking.
“ah… you as well,” Sans’ smile turns warmer, seeing your dress.
Of course Sans would appreciate your clothes, but you still feel giddy anyway, giving him a little twirl. “You like it?”
“i love it.” Sans tells you emphatically. “it’s cute… an’ pretty. you trying to match my magic?”
“Absolutely.” You answer confidently, pecking him one more time on the cheekbone, which he rubs affectionately, chuckling.
“Well!” You clap your hands, challenge in your tone. “Where’s this ride you’ve been promising me? It better live up to the hype!”
Sans chuckles at your enthusiasm, then steps back away from the door and makes a grand waving motion at the thing just on the road in front of your home.
“our ride, my lady.” He bows dramatically.
You’re… actually too stunned to speak. The blue ride Sans was showing you was… a tricycle. An honest to god tricycle.
“H… h,” you wheeze gently, “you didn’t,” you breathe as you approach the (relatively) little thing.
“i did.”
When you look it over, you could see that it was modified. It was larger than a little kiddy tricycle, but not as big as a proper bicycle. The seat was so that it could fit two people comfortably (and you mean comfortably. Sans wasn’t… a small man). Other than that it looked like a regular tricycle.
When you turn to look at Sans, he looks so proud.
“What a–” cute “--silly use of your engineering degree. I love it.”
“no core, a bore,” Sans shrugs, as if that little detail in his credentials was some everyday thing that many monsters had. “well… not really. but it’s been a while since i really… used that degree for anything. might as well for my favorite human, huh?”
You don’t doubt that your eyes were sparkling at him when he says that. You spend a minute or so just admiring the tricycle.
“Did you build it from scratch or…?”
“nah. that’d be tire-ing.” Sans sighs, “I’d rather tri something else.”
“L-”
“like we should get a move on before it gets too late. we better get this show on the road before we spend an entire day lazing around your house.”
“... Who are you and what did you do to Sans?”
“heheheh,”
As much as you’d like to tease him about it, he’s right. Sans prepared… “Stuff” for you, and you’d like to appreciate it.
So you do.
“Let’s go then, Mr. chauffeur, take me to our destination!” You declare confidently, glance at the tricycle, then less confidently “.... can you tell me how to sit in this?”
—————
You don’t think you’ve ever felt so nervous riding a tricycle before.
You’re sat behind Sans, and though you’re about the same height as him, his broad shoulders made it so it was a bit hard to look over them. Your hands couldn’t circle him properly, so you had your hands scrunching up his shirt. It didn’t take too long before you got used to it though, and your brain didn’t keep thinking that you’d fall out of the generous seat.
You would think that riding a tricycle around the city, it would take a while to get anywhere, but surprisingly, Sans kept up good speed. He even overtakes a couple of cars while he pedaled, and even from behind him you could see the shit-eating grin growing on his face whenever someone in the cars makes a double take at the sight. You’d covered your mouth then, a move that made Sans even more proud.
You wondered how he did it. And how Sans didn’t seem to struggle at all. Leg day, maybe?
The idea of Sans doing any sort of exercise seriously, perhaps even specifically so he could use the tricycle was a hilarious mental image.
By the time you’ve arrived, you barely recognize your surroundings. You’re at a nice big park… somewhere? And after Sans parks the trike,
(“don’t worry, no one’s going to steal a tricycle. that’s a bit trite don’t you think?” “I mean. If you say no one’s going to nab it…”)
(Sans somehow fits the tricycle into the regular bicycle parking rack.)
He brings you up to a scenic hill that looks like it came out straight out of a movie. Overlooking the rest of the park, with a big shady tree on it.
It’s a good thing you came earlier, because today was the perfect weather to be out, and no one had taken the prime space yet. The sun’s getting high on the sky, but you won’t be bothered under the shade.
He leads you there, then takes his hand away. “wait here. be right back in a jiff,” Sans mentions, and he walks behind the tree. He takes more than a jiff, a couple of seconds, and when he reemerges from the other side you stifle a snort.
He looks like a whirlwind, a plaid red and white blanket thrown over his skull, and a picnic basket swinging from one hand…
A picnic!!
Old memories resurface, of always wanting to do a traditional picnic that you saw often while watching shows and movies as a kid. With a blanket and matching picnic basket… tea cup set… lovely company. You never got to and you didn’t think you’d have the motivation, but here you were, with Sans providing it for you.
“A picturesque picnic?” You thought out loud, “That’s so sweet!”
“hey you haven’t even seen what’s inside the basket.” Sans places it down, and spreads the blanket over the grass. “and i mean… paps helped me pick out the stuff, so i think he should get some of the credit.”
“Credit for what?”
“getting good grades on ‘dating’,”
“Am I dating the both of you???”
“no it’s an individual project… but doesn’t hurt to have a brother who reads all about dating.”
The basket Sans brought wasn’t small by all accounts, but Sans fitted more into it than you thought it could. You take them out and spread them over the blanket. You squeed in delight, having some of your favorite light dishes around you, along with the picnic staples: sandwiches, fruits, and of course one (1) teapot.
As you look around though, you have to ask… “Are you sure you like this stuff, Sans?”
Sans pauses, hand stuck in the basket. “huh? of course i do. i wouldn’t bring it if i didn’t. besides,” He materializes a hotdog from the basket, “i came prepared with my usual.”
It was a sight, to have him bring out the ketchup bottle out and sblort, there goes the ketchup on the sausage, against the backdrop of a very proper looking picnic.
Well… almost. Wasn’t like your favorites didn’t include something ‘unhealthy and greasy’...
“had to sneak this in. i’d already promised paps that i was gonna plan out a romantic picnic and he left me to it for the most part… but he wouldn’t have approved of this particular meal choice.”
“No, he wouldn’t.” You agreed, eyeing his hotdog with a little more drool than you’d care to admit. “Do you have… more…?”
“wouldn’t be a thoughtful boyfriend if i didn’t think about that now, would i?” Sans’ sockets gleam as he procures another delicious processed meat product.
You spend your picnic appreciating all the stuff Sans brought (doing your best not to shove it all down your face), pleasantly surprised that Sans made most of it by hand.
“also, papyrus was there. … i promise, i made the main stuff, even if paps tried to stage a coup against me,”
“Hahaha!”
It was very thoughtful, and it made you feel very special that this skeleton with a lazybones reputation kept proving to you day by day that you were someone worth a lot of effort, even if you didn’t need something grand.
Eventually the topic of his tricycle came up again.
“i’ve had that tricycle for a while, actually. ever since we surfaced,”
“No way, really?” you looked back towards the bike parking area, though you couldn’t actually see the vehicle in question. “I was convinced you bought and built that tricycle for this date.”
You’re afraid you might’ve sounded disappointed, because Sans waves his hands frantically. “no no, that was for you. it wasn’t all… professionally approved for actual distance travel, before. i did that for this,” he gestures at the picnic. “no… it used to be a very normal tricycle. and no, not the one for adults. lil kiddy trike.”
You think about the tricycle now, upsized and fit for two people. You try to imagine what it might’ve looked like back then, while Sans stayed the same… on a kiddy tricycle…
Your mouth turns into a squiggly line. “B… but why? I’ve… I’ve never even seen you on something remotely like a bike,”
“i can show you,” Sans fishes his phone out of his pocket, smile going up to his sockets. “you wanna know how big ‘ol me fit on it, right?”
“Yes!” you answer emphatically as Sans scrolls through his gallery. It takes him a while before his sockets widen in an a-ha! expression.
“here it is… sweet surfacing memories,” Sans says, turning the screen to you as he looks up wistfully to the sky.
Your face is flat as you stare at the image on the phone, hands unconsciously coming up to it, taking it away from Sans. You just had to take a closer look.
It was… a glorious picture. The image quality was surprisingly crisp and sharp where it mattered, considering the motion blur you could see at the edges of it. There, was an image of Sans, his shit-eating grin wide on his face as he winks for the camera, and though it was cut off you could see how tiny the tricycle looked like under him, And behind, there was Papyrus, in his sports car, all shiny and new with the hood down and Papyrus was… god, his eyes were popping out of his skull, mouth opened in frozen agony, fists furious at the wheel. You honestly think you could hear the “SAAAAANS!!!” he must undoubtedly be screeching in the image.
Sans laughs along with you when you burst, throwing your head back, one hand to your chest- he was trying to kill you!- half-mindedly handing him back his phone.
Again, “B… but why!?” You ask even more desperately than before.
“screwing with my younger brother, obviously.” He rolls his eyelights in teasing ‘duh’. “pap always wanted to have a sports car like that, you already knew he used to have a racecar bed back in the underground. early after we surfaced, pap got his dream come true in that car and wanted to take a test… victory ride around the city highways. i gave him some time to indulge on it himself but.. i couldn’t resist to ruin it… maybe just a little,”
There was the glint in his sockets, in the way his grin was lifted, the expression that Sans had when he just found a brand new pun or when he was waiting for you to realize what he just tricked you into. Even though you’ve fallen for something many a time when he did it, he always looked adorable when he made that face- happy.
“couldn’t let my brother have his joy ride on his own could i? so i found my own- shortcutted all around the city for bicycle stores… toy stores… for the perfect tricycle. i needed something that was practical but still funny enough, something that’d look small for me, and i found it. as soon as i did i chased him, and once i found him, i overtook him.”
His sockets crinkled as he looks to the side, no doubt looking at the memory in his mind’s eye. “he was so pissed. you know my brother, so cool, he was stamping his leg and flailing his hands while the car kept cruisin’ on as if he was still driving it. i rode off into the sunset before he did, and when i got home he’d stopped at undyne’s house, sitting on the porch, looking like a storm. undyne was trying to comfort him but… i think i even got her, because she broke out into a laugh when she saw my trike.”
He sighs happily. “told her i was here to pick up my bro. paps left in a huff and said I CAN TAKE MYSELF HOME ALONE!!”
You laugh- surprised and not at the same time, and you don’t bother trying to keep it ‘polite’. You weren’t expecting the frighteningly good impression of his brother form Sans, and the story itself was hilarious- something you absolutely expected from Sans.
“You’re an asshole!” You say, pointing an accusatory finger at him. Sans doesn’t take offense.
“sure was. pap tried real hard to stay mad at first, for ruining his moment… but i apologized to him while sitting on my trike. i don’t think he could resist seeing something like that. i broke him when i honked the horn.”
“There was a horn?!” You repeat, disbelieving.
“yeah.
“Where’d it go?
“oh, i took it off, for the… for the occasion.” Sans rubs the back of his neck. “didn’t feel like it’d fit..?”
Hm… probably right.
But, “You should put it back on after!” you encourage, “I wanna ride around in it with you more! And I think the faces people make when you honk at them are going to be funnier after they get over their shock.”
Sans perks up at that, like he wasn’t expecting it. “r… really?” then, hesitantly, “you… you actually like that thing?”
“Of course I do, you made it for us!” You announce cheerfully. “And I really want to ride around the city with you… it was actually pretty relaxing.”
Of course you liked being with Sans anywhere, and his teleportation was great you could go from one place to another in an instant without having to worry if you’d ever be late, but… you also liked taking your time to just be around him, and since Sans rarely ever took rides… it was pretty romantic to be riding behind him while he cycled around.
You add that. “And I like spending time with you,”
His grin was minimal now, something that’d worry you… if his cheeks hadn’t started dusting blue, spreading across his face.
“i…. same,” He eventually smiles again, holding his cheek tenderly. “i love you.”
“I love you too.” You answered so fast it was almost automatic.
Sans sits there in silent for a moment, the sound leaves rustling quietly in the wind, along with the ambient noise of the park. Then, he seems to get an idea.
“you know what else you love though...”
Oh no. That grin wasn’t a good sign.
(It was a Funny sign.)
“you love food so much you’ve been stealing it from your own datemate.” He puts his hand on his sternum and makes a melodramatic face. “i’m hurt.”
“What..?”
When you turn to look, all the leftovers have somehow been piled onto your plate in the blink of an eye. You’re surprised it doesn’t topple.
“Wh, how did that all get here?!”
“i get eating condiments with excitement, i really do, you know me, but… that whipped cream was for sharing, sweet-toots.”
“Huh???” Was your reaction, until you saw the whipped cream beside you. “I was!! Putting it on the cake earlier!!”
“ravenous.” Sans is ignoring your desperate pleas! “you can still see the remnants of the crime…” He’s tapping on the side of his teeth. Sure enough, you had whipped cream there.
“And you have the crime of breaking the laws of physics!” You shoot back, ‘walking’ towards him on your knees, “time to go to jail, bone man!”
“oh no, are you going to whip me- augh!!” Was Sans’ anguished cry (mixed in with a surprised laugh) when you smack him softly on the cheek, trying to jab him anywhere you can. You were (not actually) annoyed and you were trying to make your case clear! Sans answers back with jabs on his own, and though he had thick bones and bigger hands, he was… playing as nice as one Sans would allow. Then, he found his way to his tickle spots.
“Sans, no!”
You end up playfully stuck to each other, trying to shove and tickle and push and pull at each other, to get the upper hand.
“Get your hands-! Not there!”
“if you surrender first, food stealer,”
“For the last time I did not steal your food!!”
“whipped cream sprayer,”
“I didn’t-! Argh!!”
You give Sans a hard shove. And this time he doesn’t get up- you see him attempt, of course, but he starts tilting back over the hill, you can see his expression turn from playful to huh?? And you try to catch him, one hand going over to protect his skull and the other around his waist (sort of), but he’s tilted too far… and his hands had automatically caught you…
Well. You end up rolling down the hill together, a blur of blue and black, picnic left alone on top. You squeaked and Sans was huffing as you both spinned, eventually slowing down to a halt, with you on top of Sans.
You were in a tangle of limbs. Apparently both of you had the same idea- keep the other one safe. Although you can’t imagine your tiny hands could be of much help to Sans, who’s thick arms did wonderful as a defensive pillow around you.
You stare at each other in stunned-silence for a little while. Maybe a bit longer.
You only seemed to snap out of it when you saw a blade of grass on Sans’ cheek and tried to thumb it away- only to realize your hand was stuck under Sans skull. And when you tried to use the other one, it was also stuck under Sans’ back.
Your face scrunched up and so did Sans. And then you both burst out in laughter, ignoring your trapped hands.
“r…. ribcaged!!” Sans was wheezing, the power of his laughter making you shake a little on top of him, while your own laughing certainly made you look like you were vibrating.
“I was trying to keep your skull safe and this is the thanks I get?” You’d jab him in the sternum if you could, but alas, your hands were indeed, ribcaged.
Sans mirrors you, putting one hand on your head, lifting his back a little so you could free your hands (before they start falling asleep). You fold them on top of him, smiling while he’s still giggling, his sockets shut.
“oh my god,” Sans says, like he’s had a revelation, rubbing one phalange under his socket. “are we… are we in a romcom? or… straight up romantic movie?”
He was hehehehing all the way, and you really didn’t want him to stop.
“What if we are?” You shrug. “We’ve got real attractive leaads…”
“heheheh… yeah we do,”
Sans draws his hands back around you while you giggle, and when his hand settles over your head, you struggle a little to stop yourself from smiling when he leans in. You meet his teeth with your lips, and it was a joy to feel that he was having trouble too, feeling his expression on his teeth.
You’re so happy. You’re so happy you get to do silly, adorable couple stuff with someone that you really cared about.
… Somewhere deep in your mind, you think “We’re lucky Alphys and Undyne aren’t around to see this… they’d be taking pictures like paparazzi, and you’re sure they’d squee about it with each other.”
—————
You spent some time canoodling with Sans a bit longer, until you both abruptly remembered your picnic stuff when a dog had come up, sniffing around. Most of it have been eaten of course, so nothing got sacrificed… but you supposed it was time for you retire home. It was afternoon now and families have started getting to the park, which was less peaceful. Nice, but not quiet.
“i mean it would be nice to see the sunset… but i don’t think you’d have much fun overheating under the sun.” Sans said, on the matter while he stacked the utensils back into the basket. (He had insisted he do the stacking. By the way he put emphasis on it, you feel like it’s either a pun, or a story he hadn’t told you about.)
When you came back to the parked tricycle, he looked like he’s still feeling shy about it and had half a mind to just teleport you home, but you remind him how much you want to ride around with him, and he concedes.
“You should take me sunset riding. Next time maybe?” You talked over him, hair waving in the wind. He had gone up a flyover and you were admiring the view, the tall buildings all around you. Maybe he didn’t think you could see it, but you could see the blue spreading on his face again. It took him a while before he answered you with “yes. definitely, next time…”
It felt like the ride home was all too fast, and you had the same feeling in your stomach as you do when you were a kid, waking up right before your car arrives home. It doesn’t keep you down though, as you practically skip your way towards home, with Sans holding onto your arm like a proper gentleman.
You take off your shoes at the door and untie your sash, standing around the entry way. “Aw Sans, that was great! Food’s good, cool ride,” Sans ducks his skull a bit, glancing away, “even better skeleton. It…. it was a special date. Thanks Sans,”
You give him a peck on the cheek, and you love seeing the little gesture has him being faintly blue, though he has a confident smile and his eyelights were glowing brightly.
“it’s… don’t mention it. i told you i gotta romantic bone in me…”
“I knew that!” You giggled, reminding him that “It’s Papyrus that didn’t think you had a romantic bone!”
You shake your head. “But look at you now… you put together a bunch of meals for us, bought matching basket and blanket, got here on time, and you modified an entire tricycle that you only planned to use as a joke.”
Your heart feels full as you say, “You always know how to make me feel special.”
His grin drops again, averting his gaze. This scene… it makes you smile, how even after a year of dating this goober, it still feels as if you two were two kids who’s crushing on each other. He takes your hands in his, and when his eyelights turn to look back at you, you could see they were in the shape of hearts.
“you’re always worth the effort, starlight.”
Ah… that lovely nickname.
He brings your hands to his teeth in a gentleman kiss. You’re squeeing and shaking in place, you don’t want to let go of Sans’ hands right now.
“Oh, I can’t wait to be able to have revenge on you, grr… who would’ve guessed the whoopie cushion would be so good at romance?”
Sans taps his chin, looking around your house as if he were judging it. “hm…. i can think of a few ways you could repay me.” Sans says, after much pondering. “ya know my legs are real tired from all that pedaling… i don’t think i have enough strength to go home right now…”
You smile at him. You’re too happy to try to challenge his reasoning- even to jokingly ask him “but you can teleport?”
As if he was expecting you to turn him away however, Sans has chosen to close the distance and dramatically lay (part) of his weight on you.
“Wh- hey! Get off!! Sans you can stay, but I’m not going to have a lot of fun if you end up crushing me on my front door!”
“.....” Sans doesn’t answer. Instead,
“zzzzzz……”
“Oh my god!”
You get into ‘Playful Fight Round Two’, but it doesn’t last as long, and there were no scenic romantic hills to roll over, as you settled into Sans’ arms, walking over to the very comfy sofa that could very well rival his old one back at his house.
“this is the best repayment ever, and you’re the best girlfriend ever,” Sans says. You both settle into a couch cuddle, with Sans as the big spoon, TV turned on as background noise. “happy anniversary, starlight.”
He kisses your cheek. The edges of your lips quirk up. Though they were getting tired from how much you smiled today, you don’t have it in you to care.
