Secrets and Pizza
You follow Papyrus down the steps. You can't get the image of Sans' gleeful grin out of your head. You press your hands against your face, trying to stifle the butterflies in your stomach. You can't do this again. This is where you had messed up so many times in the past; people would get interested, you would share too much way too soon and they would freak out and leave. The thought of losing these two brothers was enough to calm you down. Take things slow, don't get overexcited.
"AND THEN TO COME BACK AND FIND YOU, THE HUMAN WITH PUNS JUST AS BAD-!"
You guiltily realize that Papyrus has been talking to you this whole time. It's not hard to guess what he was ranting about. "Sorry Papyrus. No more puns tonight," you promise.
"I SHALL FORGIVE YOU HUMAN." He seems appeased and then his face lights up. "STILL, I CANNOT BELIEVE YOU ACTUALLY GOT MY BROTHER TO WORK AT SOMETHING. YOU MUST HAVE USED GREAT CUNNING."
"Actually he said it was to reward me for a joke I told him."
"OH. WELL I APPRECIATE IT ANYWAY. NOW ON TO OUR TRAINING!" The two of you stop at the bottom of the building and you take a few moments to stretch. Papyrus watches you for a moment and begins mimicking your movements. It's surely not necessary for him but you appreciate his efforts. "WHAT IS YOUR USUAL TRAINING REGIMEN?"
You straighten up. It's chillier out here than you thought and goosebumps cover your arms. "Last night I just did a full circle around the park, twenty seconds running, ten seconds walking since I'm still kinda new at this. Once I get to know the area better I'll go further."
"THAT SOUNDS LIKE AN EXCELLENT PLAN!" Papyrus looks ready to start bolting at any moment. You laugh and the two of you start. As you expected, the tall skeleton soon passes you by and gains quite a bit of distance. The temptation to go faster is strong but you force yourself to keep your pace. Wearing yourself out at the beginning wouldn't help anything. He notices you falling behind and jogs in place while you catch up. The rest of the run follows the same pattern, with him zooming ahead and waiting while your shorter legs fought to keep up with his long strides. After making the complete circle you end up back in front of the apartment. Papyrus is barely winded while you have to stop and take great gulps of your water.
"ARE YOU READY FOR ANOTHER CIRCLE?"
Your legs and lungs scream in protest but he looks so excited you find yourself nodding. "S-sure...let's g-go!"
You run much slower the second time around and you wind up walking the last bit. You wipe the sweat from your face with your shirt as you approach Papyrus, who long beat you to the finish line. Your legs are quivering slightly. "Sorry, I don't have much stamina."
"IN THAT WAY YOU ARE VERY MUCH LIKE MY BROTHER. BUT YOU AT LEAST ARE TRYING TO TRAIN, UNLIKE THAT LAZY BONES WHO BARELY MAKES AN EFFORT." He pats your head like a kid and you grin. "YOU DID VERY WELL HUMAN."
"Thanks Pap." It seems trying out the nickname is the right call because his eye sockets fill with joyful tears again.
"WOWIE! HAVE WE ALREADY REACHED THE NICKNAME ZONE IN OUR FRIENDSHIP?" He gives you another massive hug, not caring about the sweat. "I SHALL HAVE TO THINK OF THE BEST NICKNAME FOR YOU!"
A warm feeling blossoms in your chest. "I'd really like that," you laugh.
Friendship. You never expected your first friend in the city to be a monster skeleton. But just being able to say it, have someone call you a friend, is nearly enough to make you cry. You have missed this so much.
~~~~~~
The next morning you drag yourself to work, body aching from a combination of the running and your sad air mattress. Next on your list, get an actual bed. You take Abby's advice and put on your most comfortable pair of jeans and a slightly oversized sweater that proclaims it's 'Time to Dance' and that helps you feel better. The door hasn't even finished its tinkling ring before Abby is on you, eyes shining.
"Who was that yesterday?" she demands excitedly.
"Uh, who?" you ask intelligently.
"The skeleton," she whispers. "I saw you talking through the window and then you left with him! Was he waiting for you? Are you two...together?"
"Wha-no!" you sputter. "I've known him for like two days. He's my neighbor. There was a bit of an accident with his stove that I helped out with. He was treating me to dinner to say thanks at the bar next door."
"That is fantastic!" She sounds far more ecstatic than the situation calls for. You find out why a moment later when she lifts her shirt slightly to show you a beautifully complicated tattoo on her hip. It's got birds, eyeballs and...oh. A large skull with emerald-filled eyes glares at you, teeth pulled back in a wide sneer. "I've always loved skeletons and other spooky stuff from way back before I heard about the barrier falling. And you move in next to one? Totally awesome."
"There's two of them actually," you say in a bit of a daze, finding it hard to look away from the tattoo. "He's got a brother."
This news just excites her even more. "That is INSANE."
"I guess it is." You run your hand through your hair. "But it's almost like I forget at times. They're so crazy and fun and just...alive you know?"
"I'm so jealous," she moans. "You need to tell me everything about them!"
So the rest of the morning passes with the two of you chatting about the brothers and other monsters you've seen around the city. Abby counters your 'no, he was actually made of FIRE' story with one about a pair of monsters, named Catty and Bratty who had oohed and ahhed over her hair at the mall the other day.
"Bratty is like this massive alligator with a totally outdated blonde look that she actually pulls off," Abby says, reapplying a coat of nail polish. "Catty is—"
"Let me guess, a giant cat?" you ask with a grin.
"No way, how'd you know?!"
The two of you are laughing when the door opens and the tall lady you had seen in the booth comes in, her pretty face twisted in a scowl. Her name was...Em if you remembered right but it might be a nickname.
"There's some kind of...gathering happening at that monster bar next door," she says to no one in particular. "They're making such a racket."
The words and her tone send a feeling of apprehension through you, with just a bit of anger on the side. "It's probably the lunch hour rush," you say, not noticing Abby's quick panicked look at you.
Em glances at you, almost like she's surprised you spoke up. "It's no excuse for the place to act like a zoo. But I guess that's to be expected, given its patrons," she says coolly before sweeping upstairs to the booth. Your jaw drops and you gape after her. Abby whistles quietly.
"I totally expected her to go off on you," she says, putting her nail polish away. "Emily doesn't exactly...like monsters."
That much is obvious. Your stomach is churning with anger. "Humans are just as capable of making noise as monsters are. They're just people like us."
"Well, if you know that, and I know that...who's driving the train?" She's obviously trying to cheer you up so you try to let go of your annoyance.
Once again, the end of work arrives fairly quickly after that. Today ended up consisting of mostly sitting by Joe as he worked the controls and after almost thirty minutes of silence he asked if you wanted to help with the audio control. He spoke quietly and to the point, but it was progress! You step outside and stretch, bones in your back popping. The noise makes you think of a certain bony fellow and you pull your phone out.
y: hey, are you and Pap busy tonight?
It takes a few minutes and you start walking home before your phone dings.
s: nope. 'sup?
y: As I recall, a certain lazy bones had promised to help me unpack and my apartment is still full of boxes.
It really isn't; there's maybe five boxes left and normally you would tackle those on your own but....
s: i dunno i thought i did a pretty good job last night. whats in it for me?
y: pizza, a movie and my charming jokes?
s: you drive a hard bargain
y: You can be manager of the beanbag again
s: deal. see you soon.
A wide grin lights your face. You quickly call the pizza place for delivery (you try not to think about how sad it is that you've already saved the pizza place's number in your phone) and hurry home. You've barely come in and managed to change into some sweatpants when the doorbell rings.
"HELLO PARTNER!" You're expecting the hug this time and manage to actually hug him back. Sans gives you a quick pat on the head as he passes by and makes a beeline straight for the beanbag. "I WAS OVERJOYED TO BE INVITED FOR A MOVIE PARTY!"
A movie party? Sure why not. "Uh yeah, I'm glad you could come Pap! Make yourself comfy. Pizza should be here soon."
The sight of Papyrus attempting to fit his lanky limbs on the bag makes you giggle. He finally gives up and slides down to the floor, leaning back against the bag. Hmm, you might have to add a couch to that IKEA trip. You grab your folder of movies and go through the options with the boys. Sans doesn't really care and barely makes a comment. Pap on the other hand is so overwhelmed by your collection he has no idea what to pick.
"WHICH ONE IS YOUR FAVORITE?" he finally asks.
"Well...." Honestly, you're a huge fan of action flicks but all your favorites might be a little too intense for Pap. You have no idea how old he actually is but you can't help but see him almost like a little brother. You instead pick out Lilo and Stitch, figuring that would be plenty safe. You'll have to ask Sans later what kind of movies Paps was used to. The pizza arrives right as you put the disc in and you let yourself eat before tackling the remainder of the boxes. Halfway through the movie Sans finally pulls himself up from his nest and joins you in pulling stuff out. Papyrus is glued to the t.v, eye sockets wide.
"should i open this one?" Sans asks, pointing to a box labelled 'Decorations'.
"Nah, Halloween is coming up. You can just put it in the corner."
"what's halloween?"
You freeze and turn slowly to look at Sans. You can't help but grin a little evilly. "Oh my friend are you in for a treat. Halloween is the best holiday we've got! Pumpkins, costumes, apple cider, candy and lots of spooooky scary skeletons!" You wiggle your fingers at him. An eyebrow bone ridge raises slightly in amusement.
"is that so?"
"Yep! A haunting night when the spirits of the dead walk this earth once again!" you continue in a witchy tone, diving back into your current box. "Children wear costumes to frighten the dead away and are rewarded with candy. At least that's how it started. The wearing costumes to scare away the supposed spirits of the dead on a night called All Hallows Eve. Now people do it just for fun and for free candy."
"guess me and paps will blend right in."
"I imagine you will." You grab the pile of sheets from the box and go down the hall to put them in the closet. You return, fully intent on telling him about haunted houses and pumpkin flavored everything, but then you stop short, feeling your heart drop to your feet.
Sans is holding a small black wooden box that you've duct-taped shut, observing it curiously. He starts to peel the tape off. "ya know, i don't think this is gonna be much use to you taped shut like this-"
You're across the room in a flash, snatching the box out of Sans' hand. His eye sockets widen with surprise and just a flash of hurt. For a moment you two just stare at each other and your heart falls again for a whole different reason.
"I-I'm sorry," you say quietly, pressing the box to your chest. "I didn't want you to see this. I thought it was in the box over there. I'm sorry."
His hand lowers and the wide smile returns to his face, but now it feels a little off. "don't worry about it. i shouldn't have tried to open it."
"No! No it's not your fault," you mumble, looking at the floor. "I'm gonna go put this away. I'll be right back." You escape to your room and shut the door. That was the worst thing that could have happened. Sans probably thought you were some kind of possessive freak. You stare at the box miserably. You should throw this away. You know that but...damn it! Why did you forget which box it was in? Why did this thing have to pop up? You throw it across the room, watching it clatter to the ground.
That small chest held the remainders of the worst mistake you've ever made. The reminder that the anxiety, the depression was never going to go away.
You feel yourself sinking to the floor, that fog, that stupid overwhelming fog rearing its ugly head. Stop it! None of that! You put your hands over your ears. "I deserve to be happy," you mumble. "I'm allowed to make mistakes." You repeat it several times, focusing just on the words.
This time, thank heavens, it works. Your heart slows down and the fog retreats. You breathe deeply for a few more moments, trying to recompose yourself. The longer you stay back here, the more you were gonna worry the skeletons. If they hadn't already just up and left. You leave the box in a corner of the closet, out of sight and head back to the living room.
They're both still there. The movie is almost over. Sans, who has returned to his spot on the beanbag, watches you closely. He motions to you with a bony digit and you hesitantly walk over. He pats the spot next to him and you sit down with a sigh. You rub your thumbs together, a habit you developed a long time ago to calm yourself down.
"I'm sorry," you say again. "I had a freak out moment."
Sans makes a motion, almost like he's about to take your hand but refrains. He's smiling, which should be a good sign but then again, he's always smiling. "hey don't worry about it. it happens. are you ok?"
You take a deep breath. The fog has left for now, so yes, surprisingly, you still are. You finally look up. Sans is watching you with concern. "I'm fine. Really."
Sans hesitates for a moment, clearly mulling over something. "d-
"WHAT AN EXCELLENT FILM!" Papyrus claps loudly as the movie credits roll, interrupting Sans. "HUMAN YOU HAVE TRULY EXCELLENT TASTES IN MOVIES."
Glad for the distraction from the awkwardness, you smile at Papyrus. "I'm glad you like it! It's one of my favorites."
"I ONLY WISH THAT I COULD WATCH ALL OF THEM," he says wistfully, glancing at your large folder. You can't help but laugh.
"We can't watch them all at once, but I see no reason why we can't spread it out. In fact, tomorrow is my last day before my weekend. Do you want to have a movie night?"
It's like you've announced Christmas has come early. Papyrus' excitement calms you down even more and your smile is genuine as you make plans. Papyrus insists on bringing some more of his spaghetti and you in turn decide to pick up some more movie-like snacks. Soon after, you all decide to turn in for the night. Sans pauses at your door, waiting until his brother has vanished to turn back to you. His easy smile thins into an expression a little more serious than before.
"hey _____."
The sound of him saying your name sends strange tingles down your back. "What is it?"
He rubs the back of his skull with his hand for a moment before dropping it to his side. "if you uh...well need anything at all, i'm here. ok? just wanted to let you know."
He turns to leave and you can't stop yourself. You reach out and grab his hand, making him pause. It's oddly warm for being made of bone.
"Sans I-" You can't think of what to say. "Thank you. Really. D-do you want to grab burgers during my lunch tomorrow?"
Perhaps it's just the lighting, you could almost swear a blue tinge colored his cheekbones. He nods wordlessly and you let him go. You wait until he's at his door to call "Good night!"
He pauses and turns to give you that gentle smile. "g'night _____."