Chapter Text
Papyrus leaned on the kitchen counter, sighing heavily as he dragged hand down his face. He was exhausted.
Afterall, why shouldn't he be? It was few minutes after midnight, and he just finished cleaning the kitchen after the evening 'art party' Frisk decided to throw at their kitchen. The pink glitter and dried glue were the hardest to get off of the furniture and floor, but he managed to do it... After few hours.
And then there was Sans. He joined them in their small party, mainly because Frisk really wanted him to, but he was visibly distant the whole time.
Even when Flowey dropped few mean comments directed at him, Sans didn't react too much. His hands did move as he folded papers or scribbled random things that Frisk told him to, but his reactions were limited to only few hums everytime he noticed someone was talking to him.
That earned a few concerned glances swapped between Frisk and Flowey.
Papyrus grabbed the mug he had on the counter next to him, taking a sip. He grimaced at the taste of the coffee.
He looked down into it, the dark brown liquid seemingly harvesting all the light that made contact with it. Mainly now that the light was scarce, the only source of it being the candles' flickering flames.
Papyrus hated the taste of it. It was too bitter for him, too hot and sour all at once. Despite that, he needed one tonight to keep him awake.
And now that he still had too much of it both in mug and his system, there was no point to go to sleep anyways. So, it was time to start coming up with a plan to cheer Sans up. To get his HP to rise.
Papyrus took another sip and pushed himself off the counter to pace around the table.
Sans seemed to handle the death hanging just above him well, but Papyrus knew him too well to be fooled by his exterior.
He was scared.
And that was understandable. Who wouldnt be if they'd be told such terrible news? That they have perhaps only a week left? Few days? Maybe even only few hours?
Papyrus could clearly remember the two days ago when they were at Alphys' lab.
His older brother furrowed his brows slightly during Alphys' panicked rambling, like if he needed few seconds to fully process what was said. Then the shock seeped in, quietly, but with effieciency of a nuke.
His eyelights went out, leaving just two black pools of abyss, a vacant stare. A shiver ran down Papyrus' spine at that sight, the lifeless gaze still scorched in the back of his inside skull even now.
Sans pulled out his hands out of the pockets, which he had hidden till then. Alphys cut herself off at that moment, keeping quiet as Sans lowered his head the slightest bit to probably look at his hands.
Papyrus then realized they were trembling as clink-clanks could be heard. Alphys started calling his name to get his attention, but it seemed to land on a deaf ears. Ears. Haha. Ha.
Sans eyelights flickered back, but the shape was wrong. Normally perfect dots, but now just jagged scribbles moving as if being their own living beings. And despite the chilliness of the empty stare from before, Papyrus nearly wished he still had such look. Rather that. Rather than seeing his older brother, someone who always made sure he was safe, who never was afraid... with such dread in his eyes.
"Sans?" He remembered saying when Alphys failed. But before he could do anything else the choking came.
Its invisible claws took hold of his brother's neck, grasping it and squeezing. Sans gasped for air, when none came.
Papyrus was infront of him in a second. He squeezed his shoulders and frantically yelled for him to breathe, to look at him, just calling his name, he tried anything to bring his brother to conciousness.
He knew what panic attacks were. He learned about them in school once. But to see one in real life, his brother experiencing it on top...
Papyrus shook his head and stopped pacing, having to blink frantically to clear his vision from the tears that threatened to spill.
He let out a shaky breath and sat down by the table.
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Frisk knocked on the front door, stepping back a bit and placing their hand under Flowey's pot, cradling it a bit better than with just one hand.
Mere moments after, heavy steps could be heard from the other side and then the door swung open, revealing the tall skeleton.
"Finally-!" Flowey cut himself off at the sight of him. Despite the big smile plastered on his face, Papyrus was visibly exhausted. So uncharacteristic for the skeleton monster.
"FRISK! FLOWEY! TORIEL TOLD ME YOU'D BE STOPPING BY AFTER SCHOOL, IT'S WONDERFUL TO SEE YOU!" he chirped, his voice the same as always.
He stepped aside, letting them in. Frisk hopped into the living room, setting Flowey gently on the table infront of the couch as they sat on it.
It's been 2 days since their art party and Flowey insisted on checking on the skeleton brothers, as he claimed something was terribly wrong the last time.
Frisk couldnt help but agree, so when Papyrus sat next to them, Frisk asked how the two of them were doing. An innocent question.
Papyrus' smile twitched, but he answered that they were doing amazingly.
Frisk wanted to nod and just move on and ask him later when his guard was down, as it was clear that he didn't want to share whatever was troubling him, or them.
But Flowey beat them to it, and he straight up asked: "Oh yeah? Then why was the comedian acting like a living dead - and no, that was NOT a pun - the last time we were here and now YOU'RE looking like it?" He growled, his leaves shaking as if gesturing with hands.
"WELL, I'VE BEEN AWAKE AFTER OUR ART PARTY THE WHOLE NIGHT TO CLEAN UP THE KITCHEN, AND TO DO SO I HAD TO DRINK COFFEE; WHICH MUST HAVE AFFECTED ME MORE THAN I THOUGHT IT WOULD," Papyrus pouted, sighing dramatically after. "AND ABOUT SANS, I'M NOT VERY SURE - HE MUST HAVE HAD MORE LAZY DAY," he shrugged.
"Oh? And where is the thrashbag now?" Flowey poked into it further, his perseverance clear as day to get the secret out of Papyrus. Frisk had to however credit him that the question was a good one; where was Sans? He oftenly slept on the couch, but if Papyrus already knew they were coming over, he'd be awake and ready to ruffle their hair and ask how school was and then swap some rude comments between him and Flowey...
Papyrus motioned to the stairs behind him. "HE'S IN HIS ROOM, FAST ASLEEP," he shook his head, sending a glare upwards to his brother's room. But there was something worrying in that gaze and both Frisk and Flowey caught it.
"So you'll just let him?" Flowey asked, accusatory edge in his tone. Afterall, it was known that Papyrus always dragged Sans out of bed at any day if Sans didn't get out of it after 10 AM. So why not today?
"Yes," Papyrus replied, his voice a normal level of volume, which was not normal for him. His tone was also cooler, making Flowey jerk backwards at it with shock. The tall skeleton's eyesockets stared at Flowey, no emotion being pin-pointable from them.
Frisk poked into Papyrus' arm to get his attention. "Papyrus... We don't mean to pry, but there's something clearly wrong with you and Sans..." they started, fiddling with their thumbs. "I and Flowey are worried for you," they said, and it was true.
Frisk saw Sans as their 'duncle' - a mix of the cool uncle and their dad. Sans always helped them when they needed and if he needed help this time they were determinted to do so!
And Papyrus was like their uncle, always here to support them and cheer them up, Frisk would feel terrible if the always happy skeleton would be unhappy like that any longer than necessary.
On Flowey's side, it was more complicated, as he seemed to not care for Sans, but he visibly cared for Papyrus - his first friend.
"We don't need any details if that would make you uncomfortable. Just tell us how we can help and we'll do so! Because there /is/ something wrong.. so please let us help," Frisk looked from their hands to their skeleton friend's face, hoping to see that he's willing to tell them atleast something.
Papyrus looked at Frisk with furrowed brows, but it was now visible he was actually thinking about what Frisk just said.
After few moments, of sighed and dragged a hand down his face, the exhaustion now visible more than before. "Very well," he said. "I don't think Sans would want you knowing however, so I'll just say what we need to do; cheer him up," he looked over at Flowey. "And don't be mean to him, that might only hurt him further."