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You refused when the lanky skeleton offered to carry you back to his house. Instead, you stood back up and went limping to the shack while he followed you close and let you open the door before the two of you disappeared inside the shed. Your stomach almost spilled its content in horror when you saw what was going on in this jail. A cat monster, seemingly a young male, dressed in work clothes, was tied up to a chair and covered in blood. At first glance, you couldn't guess if he was alive or dead, so you threw a panicked glance at your friend, who wasn't ashamed at all... Like... The total opposite. Tears welled up in your eyes and the worried glance you had turned into a glare.

« Stop with the accusing face, can't you see he's still alive ? » he glared back before a scornful smile appeared on his face. « Seems like you still don't know how things work down here. » No and you didn't want to.
« Open the door. » you ordered him dryly. You were trembling just as much as your breath in anxiety and anger because of the current state of Papyrus' victim.

You were now fixing the electronic lock on the wall in front of you decisively, which made him sigh and he executed your command. You were congratulating yourself internally to make this menacing, dangerous monster obey to an order, he who always been the one doing so. Yet, you didn't forget to thank him as you opened the door once the trap was deactivated and you rushed inside towards the tortured soul and cupped their head with your hands to make them look at you.

« Hey... Hey, are you there ? » you asked the monster.

When you spoke up and touched him, he frowned and made visible efforts to blink his eyes open. He groaned from the pain that was awakening with him and his unfocused glance finally found the light again when he saw your face. In sudden fear of getting hurt again, he swiftly freed his head from your hands with an audible gasp and began hyperventilating in panic.

« No, no, it's okay, I'm not here to hurt you. » you assured him with a steady, soft voice with one of your hand resting on his shoulders while the other was on his lap. You noticed afterwards as you moved aside that his eyes shifted on Papyrus, who entered the jail. « Oh... Yeah... Don't worry my dear, he won't lay a single finger on you ever again, I made sure of that. We're here to release you instead. » you smiled at the prisoner while you crouched to free his ankles from the attaches. The Royal Guard stayed distant and watched you silently. You didn't notice that the cat monster had a predatory eye on you while you were still focused on his feet, before you heard Papyrus snap.
« Cat. » his sudden call out made the two of you stop in your actions to look at him. Papyrus was piercing the other monster with a death stare. « Stop staring at the human that way or it's not a simple punishement for drug and stealing matters you'll get. »

The concerned one just shook in fear in response. If he didn't have any red fur, you'd see the colors of his face fading too, instead you just felt his aura agitating underneath his skin and saw his hair standing up on his bared forearms and tail. You couldn't help but pet his head once you stood up again and went to untie his wrists. You could see the multiple injuries he had on his body, all the blood pooling on the floor... You felt lucky Papyrus never did such a thing to you. You noticed you were shaking too when you were caught thinking about it and because of that, you were clumsier than you used to be. When you finally freed the poor tortured monster, he took a moment to stand up since he still wondered if his release was a test or a nasty prank.

« Go on, “Burgerpants”. » Papyrus warned with a fierce glance. « You can leave... Unless you were enjoying our little play times. Just a friendly reminder that if you dare stealing gold from work for your dirty drug deals again, this time it won't be nice cuts you'll get. » he smirked, which made the called Burgerpants hiss in fright.

Then he stood up, lost his balance for a portion of his tail was missing before he threw a hesitant look at you in a deafening silence, then he stumbled until he reached the cracked open door and disappeared through it. Seeing how badly hurt was he made you want to follow and help him, but knowing your own current state, you wouldn't be of any use. You turned to look at Papyrus with a heavy heart. He was just grinning, probably because he was enjoying how much was the other monster suffering before he noticed your glance and stopped doing so. You then turned towards the shining sta.... The shining star wasn't here anymore. You looked around.

« Where is it ? » Papyrus who was still folding his arms arched a browbone.
« What ? »
« The SAVE star... » your voice couldn't help but shake a little in fear. You clearly showed signs of exhaustion as you came closer to get a grip on the chair. He didn't seem to notice your panting and trembled as he replied.
« Oh, this... Sans brought it back to its rightful place- » Your falling frame is what cut him in his reply so he unfolded his arms, startled. He walked closer to your collapsed form while he sighed, annoyed. « Lord, you're so weak ! I can't believe I got defeated by such a pathetic creature like you. » On your knees, slouching and panting with the unability to move because of the soreness of your body, you laughed softly.
« I know... I'm sorry, Papyrus. » he kneeled down next to you before you felt his slender, boney arms wrap your back and under your knees to lift you up cradling you like a baby against him.
« Stupid human, making me do such embarrassing things... » he grumbled. « Can't believe we were taught you creatures were supposed to be strong and vile... And not... This. » his voice was flat in the end, as he tried to come up with another word to describe you in vain.

Your heart fluttered at this moment with the need of giggling hitting hard. Maybe it was because you'd have never thought that the Terrible Papyrus would ever hold you this way except for when he was asleep, or maybe just because you could feel his embarrassment through his entire being... Yet you managed to contain this outburst to just a restrained yet amused smile. You didn't want him to misinterpret your reaction after all ! As you felt comfortable, you turned your head to hide your face against his chest. A sharp exhale escaped from his nasal hole made you want to check why such a reaction so when you looked up, he was looking away with a bright blush dusting his cheekbones. Oh. Okay. This guy was easily flustered, it seemed. You buried your head again before he could realize you were watching. He decided to walk at some point, you didn't know when for sure cause all the previous adrenaline was leaving your system kicked by exhaustion, you faded away in a matter of seconds.

If you opened your eyes now, it was only because someone frantically flipped shit as they searched for something in your surroundings. You were back at the skelebros' house and currently laying down on the couch. It was a certainty someone could hear that noisy bastard turning this house upside down even in the distance. Speaking of the rough guy, it was Papyrus searching for something in the kitchen and grumbling loudly when his researches appeared to be fruitless while his dog AD was sitting next to you. Hearing it whimpering made you turn your head towards the animal and smile.

« I'm okay, baby dog, I'm okay... » you whispered with that baby voice you always take when speaking to the white beast.

And a sloppy tongue came across you face before Papyrus' snarl interrupts you both in your cuddle session. The skeleton monster rushed back to the living room visibly upset and started to move heaven and hell to find something he might have lost around. Which was pretty unlikely of him, you thought...

« What is it ? Did you lose something ? » you risked to ask then winced from a stinging sensation as you tried to sit up. Still on his nerves, he glared at you before looking away and sigh while he'd close his eyelids for a brief moment as he collected himself by rubbing the tense nasal bridge with two of his fingers.
« It appears we have ran out of healing items on you... I need to go and buy some. »

He didn't let you reply that on these words, he disappeared in his bedroom for a short while. The living room only started to fill with a heavy silence that it was immediately chased away by a returning Papyrus with a purse in his hand. When he passed close enough for you, you grabbed his forearm under AD's startled watch. Papyrus naturally stiffened at your sudden approach before his guard went slightly down as his eyes laid on your face covered with cuts.

« Can I go with you ? » you asked so gently that it made him flinch. He visibly was still not used of this kind little creature you were. He tried to back away but it only made your grip tighten around his combat glove so the skeleton stops to think for a moment, looking at the house, the dog, you, the house again... Before his glance met your pleading eyes again. « I need to SAVE... »

A couple of second passed as you both had a silent conversation before the Royal Guard sighed.

« Fine, do as you please. Though don't you slow me down, human. » he warned you uselessly because your face lightened up the second he accepted, and so you got up from the couch.

You were doing your best not to show pain, so much your hurt leg remained by far the only proof of your struggles. Papyrus opened the door to step outside and you followed accompagnied by the dog. You hadn't noticed it behind you until you felt its head spread your legs and the next second, you were straddling the animal's back to your big surprise. AD threw a pleased, proud glance at you as you rested your still able hand on its collar under Papyrus' watch. He still couldn't believe the dog was showing so much affection towards you and you only. Maybe was he jealous finding it so obedient and caring about you ?? With relief, you bent down and patted the pet's head while it began carrying you around next to Papyrus. You were so small compared to these creatures, you couldn't possibly have caught up with their pace.

« How are you still alive ? » asked the shop owner when she recognized your face.

You were standing close to Papyrus, and his incredible height was convenient since you hid a bit behind his figure. He drew a protective arm just above your head to shield you.

« This human, lady, is my entire responsibility. See ? I captured this vile creature and I'm going to deliver it to the King shortly. »
« Oh, congratulations, Sir Papyrus. » she said with a noticeable sarcastic tone. « I wonder how did it manage to survive all this long until then. » while she observed you and made mental notes of your health. You were still in one piece but pretty beaten up. Papyrus was looking over you before he replied.
« Me too. I wouldn't be surprised if it stole from someone. You know how humans are cunning. »
« Yeah. So you better be careful around it. It would be tragic to lose our most talented Captain because of this thing. » she spat while glaring at you.

How dared she saying that you could murder your newest friend, after your last talk with her ? What she didn't expect is that you silently replied with the same glare at her. She raised her eyes to Papyrus. The big boy wasn't pleased as well by the way he was scowling at her. GG, team work.

« Are you telling me I could possibly be wiped by this small, weak breathing thing, lady ? Are you doubting my capacities ? » he growled as he wore a murderous glare at the rabbit monster. It was certain that she hurt his ego. She flinched and hurried to agitate both her hands in defend in panic
« N-No of course not , I would never imply that ! E-Ever! » he grinned at this response. A terrifying aura was emanating from him, so strongly that you didn't even need to see his face to know how scary he was looking right now. Only the bunny monster's afraid expression was enough for that.
« Good. Now, let's talk business. » he replied as he took support on the counter with his arm, while he crossed a leg with the other. Funny enough to say that it looked like he acted seductive this way yet only seeing his face would suppress that thought.
« Yes... » she murmured in a breath.

You were now taking a few steps away to look through the window in the corner. It seemed peaceful outside. Not a lot of monsters were out and if that was the case, they wouldn't stick around each other long. Everyone acted suspicious or menacing and it wouldn't be surprising to see two or three fuckers fighting at this point... The thing that made you emerge from your thoughts was a voice.

« I can't believe it became like this... » a voice echoed. It wasn't yours, so you whiped your head around as you expected to see someone standing right behind you to find nobody but Papyrus and the seller talking business in the distance. So you turned your eyes towards the window again. Maybe it was someone outside ? « Silly, if it was someone outside, you would have seen them. » A shiver of horror ran up your spine. It was coming from you. How ?? Were you going crazy ? « No you're not. » the voice sighed in disappointment. “I guess you can't remember me outside your sleep... »
« F... Flowey ? » you thought.
« Asriel. »
« Agh, sorry. » you shoved your head in your shoulders from sudden embarrassment to realize it was just hurting your sore body furthermore.
« It's okay, I would be confused too if I was in your shoes... Which I am currently but... » Asriel laughed at the sudden realization. You couldn't help but smile at how innocent he felt. Oh, this laugh, you could recognize in the middle of a billion of people laughing together ! An urge to cry overwhelmed you. He was really there, you thought. He wasn't gone. « Hey, it's okay, of course I'm here ! Please don't cry, or I might feel like a douche for making you doing so... » You shook your head.
« No it's... You don't know how relieved I am to be able to talk to you again... » you sniffed a little and wiped the tears that were clouding your eyes with your sleeve. « I can hardly believe it's true... »

Your friend stayed silent for the few moments later. You were waiting for a response. Was he already gone ? The sudden thought made your anxiety peak and you started to call him out. Still no response. You could feel yourself slouching out of disappointment slowly winning over you until you heard him again, with a pretty soft, hesitant voice.

« It was... It was a really nice battle. » he said. « back to the shack... » Your soul swoon at this compliment.
« Than- Oh... You saw that ? » you asked him.
« Er... Yes ? I mean, I.... I see and feel everything now... »

The swollen joy that was inhabitating you left suddenly place to a shrinking, tight hold on your soul. You glanced down, gripping your sweater in your hands.

« I experienced your deaths... » he kept going. « How... How could you hold on through this hell ? » his voice was weak, as if he was on the edge of crying. You could even see him in your thoughts, his expression full of pain.
« You... It was for you... » this response shook him, you felt it since you gasped in return. Weird... His conscious made you do so as if it was your own reaction. Still staring at the ground, you raised a hand to grip at your arm but you winced when the pain shot in it. You hissed and looked at yourself. Wait. Something was off.
« What is it ? » Asriel asked, now concerned.

You noticed the rips in your sweater. Good lord, they were new clothes ! You sighed in annoyance before you noticed that your shorts and thighs were also ruined... Then something almost made you fall on your bottom. At first glance, you could have thought your black thighs weren't ripped, until you focused and finally noticed that the holes were showing pitch-black skin. Oh no... It couldn't be real. Anxiety rose up so much you had trouble to breathe. This wasn't happening, no... This couldn't be happening ! It was a nightmare, nobody should witness that !

Keep calm, you told yourself.

Yet you could still feel your beating rate increasing as you stood straight and just stared blankly at the outside, struggling with your own breath to even think rationally. Voices started to slip in your mind and slowly leaving you drowning in otherthinking. Chest was tight and your vision started to shrink. No, no, no... You knew that Papyrus was going to look at you if you couldn't control yourself, and yet, and yet...!

« Breathe in slowly » Your best friend whispered in your ears and you executed as best as you could, shuddering in the process. « Hold. »

You did so and the waiting part was certainly the worse as you wondered what was that going to do. Your heart was pounding heavily in your ears and you could even feel your chest trembling under the strong beats. Still, you held on.

« Good. Now, breathe out. Slooooowly... » you obeyed again and you started to feel the effect right away. Your air way was relaxing just enough for you to breathe slightly better. « Do it again. » After a few times, you felt your heartbeat finally slowed down to an acceptable pace. « There you go, friend. »
« Do you know what is it ? » you asked him once you were calm enough despite anxiety. You could sense him shaking his head.
« I'm afraid I don't... It started a while ago though, I noticed that time in the bathro- » he shut up at this moment and you felt your face flushing a bright red, yet it wasn't your own reaction. The memory of you standing in front of the mirror flashed in front of your eyes. Oh. That's right.
« ... It was you who were flustered, wasn't it ? » you asked him with a smirk printed on your face. He replied with only an embarrassed laugh. « I should have known that thinking “Golly” wasn't from me. You lil' sneaky sneak snuck »

Asriel was about to reply when you heard Papyrus' voice raise a little as he was finishing his business with the seller.

« Goodbye, my lady. »
« Thank you for your purchases, goodbye. » she replied with a strained smile.

You couldn't sense your friend, maybe was he gone back into a corner of your mind since he became so silent. You turned to look at your skeleton companion who was walking towards you then he grabbed a fistful of your arm, which made you yelp in pain without him caring because he just dragged you outside in a heavy silence. Your feet were sliding on the melted snow turned into ice as you tried to keep up with his pace.

« P-Papyrus, you're hurting me... » you told him with a weak voice.

You were grabbing his hand and trying to break free from him but he was so strong, strong enough for his digits dug in your soft skin. When you were far away enough from the shop, you almost fell from the sudden lifted weight as he released your limb. AD who was sitting down next to the door as a good guard dog followed you and stopped next to you, its eyes locked at you with a tilting head.

« Remember that you're my prisoner in front of everyone or they might attack you. Understood ? » Papyrus whispered to you, bending over you to be able to see your eyes since he was so tall in comparison. You nodded silently. The Royal Guard brought a hand between your shoulder blades as an encouragement to walk. « Let's go. »
« Wait... » You turned your head around.

From what you could remember last time you came across the town, the SAVE star was somewhere close to the shop. You noticed it floating not so far so you escaped your caretakers' vigilance to reach it before Papyrus could even protest. Instead, he followed behind with his companion. Snowflakes were peacefully falling down while the surroundings were slowly getting lost in the darkness growing with the incoming night. That SAVE point was like a tiny sun in the middle of this place, twinkling gently as it stood there, a foot from you. With a peaceful state, you raised your hands around it then brought it against your heart, admiring this gift through your half-lidded eyes. It was so calming, so comforting. The light was shining brighter at your touch and you closed your eyes.

✧✦✧

Papyrus was standing next to you, voiceless as he watched the scene. It was the first time he was witnessing such a thing... What could he think at this moment, eyeing you with this surprised, fascinated face ? Hasn't he ever seen something like this in his lifetime ? To be honest, he never did. And seeing your small, soft figure resting against this tiny, shining star, so weak and yet so... Peaceful... Something was dancing inside his ribcage, like a bird wanting to break free. He couldn't understand this sensation, but he knew. He knew this was the most beautiful thing he ever saw in his entire existence. Something new, something pure... Something that wasn't tainted by this corrupted world. How did this creature survive this long, he thought. Did they even survive this long ? They fell down into this forgotten universe like a gift from above and showed mercy, kindness, concern for all he saw. Each time they could have taken the opportunity to hurt or kill, they simply acted otherwise and offered a smile, an embrace, a caress...
This couldn't be possible. Were the books about humans wrong ? Were the stories pure lies ? Were all the humans like you ? Were you only human ? These were the questions he died to ask. Something was coming to life inside his chest, something he thought he would never feel. The need to protect them. The need to keep them away from what would harm them. If he ever said that out loud, his brother would be ashamed of him. The other monsters would laugh at his face.... Undyne... Undyne would vote him out of office... Even worse, King Asgore would execute him for high treason. But he was going to bring the human to him... Was he ? But... They were going to die if he did so... And yet... But yet...

« I have to keep going... »

What ? This soft-spoken voice, yet vacant, shook him out of his inner fight. The human was looking up, blankly looking in the distance, still holding the shining star against their chest.

« I need to keep going... I need to... »

The current state they were in was odd. Papyrus took a step closer.

« Human. What are you do- »
« I'm running... Out of... »

Their irises were glistening in this strange, empty glance when the star's light kept growing stronger, even blinding. They kept saying the same words while their hair started floating although wind didn't rise, which was kind of freaking the spiky skeleton out now. He only realized he rushed to them when he grabbed their shoulder.

« Hey ! » he shouted loud enough for Frisk to cut it out. They were now looking at him, their livid eyes slowly coming back to life as their consciousness emerged again. At this moment, the star bursted into glimmering dust. All seemed to have returned to normal after that incident but only with a worried Frisk now.
« Papyrus... We need... We need to see the King really soon. » they whispered with a shaky, weak voice. They were now taking his big hand between their small, delicate ones. « Please... » This expression of theirs... They were afraid. Here this unwanted feeling emerged again. Papyrus clenched his fist in Frisk's and frowned as he tried to kill that unwanted desire inside of his chest.
« We will, eventually. Tomorrow. It's night time at the moment and I sense you won't be able to walk for too long. Am I wrong ? » he replied with his best scowl and scornful voice. They just nodded and smiled in relief as they weren't phased by it.

« Thank you... »

Dear Lord, why must you make things so difficult !? He wanted to scream, but at this moment, both of them heard a familiar voice coming from their right.

« Yo. » Sans greeted them with a relaxed grin for once. It seemed like he just had a nap by reading his tired expression, which made the tall skeleton exhale sharply through his nasal bone. This guy, he will never change, will he ?
« You're appearing just in time. We were going home and prepare dinner. »

Papyrus smirked before he laid eyes on the human again, who was startled by the dog who like earlier, surprised them by coming between their legs to carry them on its back. Sans saw their health state and this pathetic, tired state left place to an alarmed one. He needed to breathe twice to take it off his face before another emotion enrupted in, a darker one when his red eyes flickered towards his brother.

« Boss. What happened to them ? » he asked with a strange tone. Now, he was mad and all his tense body was proof of his efforts to keep the anger bottled up. « I let them alone with you, and you can't help but hurt them ? That's it ? What did you do ? Go on, I'm listening. » His fists were trembling. Damn it. How could he explain that ? Papyrus quickly scanned their surroundings. There were still one or two monsters around that may be susceptible of hearing the conversation.
« Sans... How about we talk at home ? » he lowly suggested with tight jaws, and Sans immediately laughed humorlessly in response.
« Yeah, sure boss, like we talked yesterday ? Is this what you did with the human ? You “talked” ? I can see that had turned out pretty great. » he commented in a spiteful tone, quickly glancing at the human to emphasize his point. Frisk didn't know how or when could they intervene, their eyes kept frantically going from one to another in worry.
« Actually... » Frisk tried, and both the brothers were looking at them. They seemed so small, slouching out of shame. « I... I was careless and I... I fell in the staircase when I was holding a glass of water... Papyrus didn't have anything to patch me up so he brought me here... Please, don't be mad at him. It was my fault. »

Holy cow that bastard was a good liar. Both of the brothers were mouth agape, one because he wouldn't believe the human was taking his defense, the other because he was wondering how the fuck could they fall in the stairs with a goddamn glass of water. Guess Frisk was clumsy after all, so in the end it was plausible to Sans that it really happened.

« Is that... Is that true, boss ? » Sans asked, now glancing at his brother, still clenching his fists.
« You heard the human. They were careless. » Frisk was nodding at the response silently. « Now, let's hurry and get back home. Tomorrow is going to be a long day. »

Sans couldn't help but still feel suspicious towards his brother. He ended up shrugging it off in the end, seeing that it wouldn't do much anymore. Best was to try and play it cool the best as he could from now on.

« 'lright. »

So when everyone started moving, he walked closer to Frisk between them and his brother so he could, in his way, protect the human with his presence and if needed, with his body. Frisk was staring at him doing so quietly until the shorter skeleton glanced at them and winked with a reassuring smile on his features.

Snow kept falling as peacefully as ever while the little gang walked back to the base.

✧✦✧

That evening, Sans was gone and locked up in his bedroom when you found Papyrus in the kitchen. He was preparing the tools for tonight's dish. Shyly, you stepped onto the doorway and called him. He looked at you. You were in a better shape, thanks to many of the items he bought for you. You were rubbing your own arm in discomfort.

« About... About earlier. Does it still stand ? » you asked him. You really hoped he didn't forget because of the state you both were in earlier this afternoon. He studied you for a while, thoughtful, before he took a step aside and directed his attention over the wooden cutting board.
« Come here. »

You couldn't help but smile widely when you walked next to him ans waited for his instructions. He was hesitating on what should he give you to do, then eventually, he gave you a kitchen knife.

« I let you cut the tomatoes while I'll prepare the meatballs. » he said and you nodded. « Good. And don't even think about trying to stab me, understood ? » You took a look at the tool that was resting in your hand, then at him and nodded. There was no way for you to do such a thing. « Excellent. Now, let's get started. »

For the next minutes, both of you were working on this cooking session. Your sleeves up your elbow level, clean hands, you were focused on your task though you could still feel a relaxed Papyrus next to you. You could even sense his magic humming peacefully so close to you and it made your soul swell with joy and tranquillity. You were putting the pieces of cut tomatoes in an old blender to turn the vegetables into liquid under the slender man's silent watch. You were pretty effective, to say the least. Water was boiling in the cooking pot, and as you wanted to throw pastas in it, none of you realized the other's intention and so his fingertips brushed your knuckles when you both reached for it. You quickly withdrew your hand clutching the box and murmured a quick sorry when you met his surprised gaze and here you triggered his blush again. Nice.
You prefered not to point it out in case it would make him more embarrassed, so you proceeded into putting the raw spaghetti noodles in the water before you grabbed the frying pan nearby so Papyrus could place the meat in, which he did still without saying a word, then you put it down the gas cooker and turned it on. You could feel his insisting eyes on you during the whole process and you wouldn't mind since you were way too sucked in your current activity to pay attention to anything else. After a while, when you were still busy putting some condiment such as salt, sugar and a bit of herbs in your tomato preparation, you heard his voice coming out bluntly.

« Human. What are those marks on your wrists ? »

You froze as your heart fell in the pit of your stomach. That was an unbearable feeling of fear. Slowly, you raised your horrified eyes to his face. He was facing down at you, a frightening scowl printed on his features. His posture, his glance, the twist on his mouth of bitter anger... He was terrifying. You then looked down at your wrists. Pale marks were decorating the soft flesh, some were bigger than others yet each one was proof of something evil that plagued your precious life, still present and cruelly reminding. You went to cover this abused part with the sleeves when he suddenly grabbed your forearm to turn it upwards, showing off these scars to yourself as if you never noticed them.

« Who did this to you ? Tell me. »

His voice. It was so deep as he growled like a beast, even more than ever. You don't recall hearing him ever like that. You were a trembling mess in a matter of seconds and your breathing shallow.

« N... Nobody... » your voice shook.
« Who hurt you ? » his was raising. He was towering you and holding your arm in a steel grip. All your efforts in tugging your arm free were in vain, but you still seeked for a release. « Human. Who. Hurt. You !? » He was now shouting.
« I don't know ! » you shouted in a whimper. « I don't know, please, let me go ! »
« Answer me, human ! » his voice was raspy, so low from all the growling and yelling, which was freaking you out. You kept pulling on your arm while you began hyperventilating with panic.
« It doesn't matter anymore !! T-They're gone now ! Please, Papyrus, stop !! » You cried out and it only made his grasp tighter around your abused wrist.
« I won't let go of you until you say a name, human !! » he bent over you, his enraged eyes plunging in your watering ones.
« GET OFF ME !! »

You didn't realize you were already lying on the tiled floor when you bursted into tears, struggling to breathe as you had a breakdown. You were curling up, tucking your hurting arm against your tightened chest. Papyrus was standing in front of you frozen in place. He was holding his own abused cheekbone. Your other hand was hurting deeply to the bone and in a short moment of lucidity, you came to the quick conclusion that you hit him. Yet... you didn't even remember assaulting him in your panic. The panic attack you currently had left you miserable and at a monster's mercy who had all the reasons to rip you into tiny pieces and make a human pie out of you.
You couldn't remember what made you scar yourself this way, but you knew it was because of the flashing memories that flooded your mind a few weeks ago. You knew they were playing a big part of this matter. You knew it was because of the pain that was eating you up from the inside that you did it. Because you wanted to ease the suffering, you longed for something that would have ended it in a way, or another. But how could you explain that to this monster ? He who used to redirect his pain onto others ? Why would he care so much about whoever in this entire universe made you feel so terrible and worthless ? You couldn't start to comprehend why... Why would he care ? Why so soon ?

Someone rushed to the kitchen. You could recognize who it was by the heavy stepping yet you were too shaken to even think about what was happening around you. Sans was standing on the doorway, shocked, before he slid on his knees to reach for you and grab your small, trembling form. You kept weeping as he loomed over you in a protective gesture when his body shifted slightly looking up to his brother who was still frozen on his spot with an expression of utter shock and hurt.

« What did you do to them !? » Sans snarled, furious.

Papyrus couldn't gather himself in time to respond while his sibling picked you up. Still in shock, he opened his mouth to speak but no sound escaped these jaws. So his brother turned his back on him and said with threat evident in his tone :

« I don't even want you to be around them for the night or you can be sure you won't like what happens next. »

And he returned to his bedroom with you still in his arms, leaving in his path just a heavy, pressuring silence in the house weighing on his younger brother standing still in the middle of the kitchen, his face distorted with remorses that crept up on him.

Description
You refused when the lanky skeleton offered to carry you back to his house. Instead, you stood back up and went limping to the shack while he followed you close and let you open the door before the two of you disappeared inside the shed. Your stomach almost spilled its content in horror when you saw what was going on in this jail. A cat monster, seemingly a young male, dressed in work clothes, was tied up to a chair and covered in blood. At first glance, you couldn't guess if he was alive or dead, so you threw a panicked glance at your friend, who wasn't ashamed at all... Like... The total opposite. Tears welled up in your eyes and the worried glance you had turned into a glare.

« Stop with the accusing face, can't you see he's still alive ? » he glared back before a scornful smile appeared on his face. « Seems like you still don't know how things work down here. » No and you didn't want to.
« Open the door. » you ordered him dryly. You were trembling just as much as your breath in anxiety and anger because of the current state of Papyrus' victim.

You were now fixing the electronic lock on the wall in front of you decisively, which made him sigh and he executed your command. You were congratulating yourself internally to make this menacing, dangerous monster obey to an order, he who always been the one doing so. Yet, you didn't forget to thank him as you opened the door once the trap was deactivated and you rushed inside towards the tortured soul and cupped their head with your hands to make them look at you.

« Hey... Hey, are you there ? » you asked the monster.

When you spoke up and touched him, he frowned and made visible efforts to blink his eyes open. He groaned from the pain that was awakening with him and his unfocused glance finally found the light again when he saw your face. In sudden fear of getting hurt again, he swiftly freed his head from your hands with an audible gasp and began hyperventilating in panic.

« No, no, it's okay, I'm not here to hurt you. » you assured him with a steady, soft voice with one of your hand resting on his shoulders while the other was on his lap. You noticed afterwards as you moved aside that his eyes shifted on Papyrus, who entered the jail. « Oh... Yeah... Don't worry my dear, he won't lay a single finger on you ever again, I made sure of that. We're here to release you instead. » you smiled at the prisoner while you crouched to free his ankles from the attaches. The Royal Guard stayed distant and watched you silently. You didn't notice that the cat monster had a predatory eye on you while you were still focused on his feet, before you heard Papyrus snap.
« Cat. » his sudden call out made the two of you stop in your actions to look at him. Papyrus was piercing the other monster with a death stare. « Stop staring at the human that way or it's not a simple punishement for drug and stealing matters you'll get. »

The concerned one just shook in fear in response. If he didn't have any red fur, you'd see the colors of his face fading too, instead you just felt his aura agitating underneath his skin and saw his hair standing up on his bared forearms and tail. You couldn't help but pet his head once you stood up again and went to untie his wrists. You could see the multiple injuries he had on his body, all the blood pooling on the floor... You felt lucky Papyrus never did such a thing to you. You noticed you were shaking too when you were caught thinking about it and because of that, you were clumsier than you used to be. When you finally freed the poor tortured monster, he took a moment to stand up since he still wondered if his release was a test or a nasty prank.

« Go on, “Burgerpants”. » Papyrus warned with a fierce glance. « You can leave... Unless you were enjoying our little play times. Just a friendly reminder that if you dare stealing gold from work for your dirty drug deals again, this time it won't be nice cuts you'll get. » he smirked, which made the called Burgerpants hiss in fright.

Then he stood up, lost his balance for a portion of his tail was missing before he threw a hesitant look at you in a deafening silence, then he stumbled until he reached the cracked open door and disappeared through it. Seeing how badly hurt was he made you want to follow and help him, but knowing your own current state, you wouldn't be of any use. You turned to look at Papyrus with a heavy heart. He was just grinning, probably because he was enjoying how much was the other monster suffering before he noticed your glance and stopped doing so. You then turned towards the shining sta.... The shining star wasn't here anymore. You looked around.

« Where is it ? » Papyrus who was still folding his arms arched a browbone.
« What ? »
« The SAVE star... » your voice couldn't help but shake a little in fear. You clearly showed signs of exhaustion as you came closer to get a grip on the chair. He didn't seem to notice your panting and trembled as he replied.
« Oh, this... Sans brought it back to its rightful place- » Your falling frame is what cut him in his reply so he unfolded his arms, startled. He walked closer to your collapsed form while he sighed, annoyed. « Lord, you're so weak ! I can't believe I got defeated by such a pathetic creature like you. » On your knees, slouching and panting with the unability to move because of the soreness of your body, you laughed softly.
« I know... I'm sorry, Papyrus. » he kneeled down next to you before you felt his slender, boney arms wrap your back and under your knees to lift you up cradling you like a baby against him.
« Stupid human, making me do such embarrassing things... » he grumbled. « Can't believe we were taught you creatures were supposed to be strong and vile... And not... This. » his voice was flat in the end, as he tried to come up with another word to describe you in vain.

Your heart fluttered at this moment with the need of giggling hitting hard. Maybe it was because you'd have never thought that the Terrible Papyrus would ever hold you this way except for when he was asleep, or maybe just because you could feel his embarrassment through his entire being... Yet you managed to contain this outburst to just a restrained yet amused smile. You didn't want him to misinterpret your reaction after all ! As you felt comfortable, you turned your head to hide your face against his chest. A sharp exhale escaped from his nasal hole made you want to check why such a reaction so when you looked up, he was looking away with a bright blush dusting his cheekbones. Oh. Okay. This guy was easily flustered, it seemed. You buried your head again before he could realize you were watching. He decided to walk at some point, you didn't know when for sure cause all the previous adrenaline was leaving your system kicked by exhaustion, you faded away in a matter of seconds.

If you opened your eyes now, it was only because someone frantically flipped shit as they searched for something in your surroundings. You were back at the skelebros' house and currently laying down on the couch. It was a certainty someone could hear that noisy bastard turning this house upside down even in the distance. Speaking of the rough guy, it was Papyrus searching for something in the kitchen and grumbling loudly when his researches appeared to be fruitless while his dog AD was sitting next to you. Hearing it whimpering made you turn your head towards the animal and smile.

« I'm okay, baby dog, I'm okay... » you whispered with that baby voice you always take when speaking to the white beast.

And a sloppy tongue came across you face before Papyrus' snarl interrupts you both in your cuddle session. The skeleton monster rushed back to the living room visibly upset and started to move heaven and hell to find something he might have lost around. Which was pretty unlikely of him, you thought...

« What is it ? Did you lose something ? » you risked to ask then winced from a stinging sensation as you tried to sit up. Still on his nerves, he glared at you before looking away and sigh while he'd close his eyelids for a brief moment as he collected himself by rubbing the tense nasal bridge with two of his fingers.
« It appears we have ran out of healing items on you... I need to go and buy some. »

He didn't let you reply that on these words, he disappeared in his bedroom for a short while. The living room only started to fill with a heavy silence that it was immediately chased away by a returning Papyrus with a purse in his hand. When he passed close enough for you, you grabbed his forearm under AD's startled watch. Papyrus naturally stiffened at your sudden approach before his guard went slightly down as his eyes laid on your face covered with cuts.

« Can I go with you ? » you asked so gently that it made him flinch. He visibly was still not used of this kind little creature you were. He tried to back away but it only made your grip tighten around his combat glove so the skeleton stops to think for a moment, looking at the house, the dog, you, the house again... Before his glance met your pleading eyes again. « I need to SAVE... »

A couple of second passed as you both had a silent conversation before the Royal Guard sighed.

« Fine, do as you please. Though don't you slow me down, human. » he warned you uselessly because your face lightened up the second he accepted, and so you got up from the couch.

You were doing your best not to show pain, so much your hurt leg remained by far the only proof of your struggles. Papyrus opened the door to step outside and you followed accompagnied by the dog. You hadn't noticed it behind you until you felt its head spread your legs and the next second, you were straddling the animal's back to your big surprise. AD threw a pleased, proud glance at you as you rested your still able hand on its collar under Papyrus' watch. He still couldn't believe the dog was showing so much affection towards you and you only. Maybe was he jealous finding it so obedient and caring about you ?? With relief, you bent down and patted the pet's head while it began carrying you around next to Papyrus. You were so small compared to these creatures, you couldn't possibly have caught up with their pace.

« How are you still alive ? » asked the shop owner when she recognized your face.

You were standing close to Papyrus, and his incredible height was convenient since you hid a bit behind his figure. He drew a protective arm just above your head to shield you.

« This human, lady, is my entire responsibility. See ? I captured this vile creature and I'm going to deliver it to the King shortly. »
« Oh, congratulations, Sir Papyrus. » she said with a noticeable sarcastic tone. « I wonder how did it manage to survive all this long until then. » while she observed you and made mental notes of your health. You were still in one piece but pretty beaten up. Papyrus was looking over you before he replied.
« Me too. I wouldn't be surprised if it stole from someone. You know how humans are cunning. »
« Yeah. So you better be careful around it. It would be tragic to lose our most talented Captain because of this thing. » she spat while glaring at you.

How dared she saying that you could murder your newest friend, after your last talk with her ? What she didn't expect is that you silently replied with the same glare at her. She raised her eyes to Papyrus. The big boy wasn't pleased as well by the way he was scowling at her. GG, team work.

« Are you telling me I could possibly be wiped by this small, weak breathing thing, lady ? Are you doubting my capacities ? » he growled as he wore a murderous glare at the rabbit monster. It was certain that she hurt his ego. She flinched and hurried to agitate both her hands in defend in panic
« N-No of course not , I would never imply that ! E-Ever! » he grinned at this response. A terrifying aura was emanating from him, so strongly that you didn't even need to see his face to know how scary he was looking right now. Only the bunny monster's afraid expression was enough for that.
« Good. Now, let's talk business. » he replied as he took support on the counter with his arm, while he crossed a leg with the other. Funny enough to say that it looked like he acted seductive this way yet only seeing his face would suppress that thought.
« Yes... » she murmured in a breath.

You were now taking a few steps away to look through the window in the corner. It seemed peaceful outside. Not a lot of monsters were out and if that was the case, they wouldn't stick around each other long. Everyone acted suspicious or menacing and it wouldn't be surprising to see two or three fuckers fighting at this point... The thing that made you emerge from your thoughts was a voice.

« I can't believe it became like this... » a voice echoed. It wasn't yours, so you whiped your head around as you expected to see someone standing right behind you to find nobody but Papyrus and the seller talking business in the distance. So you turned your eyes towards the window again. Maybe it was someone outside ? « Silly, if it was someone outside, you would have seen them. » A shiver of horror ran up your spine. It was coming from you. How ?? Were you going crazy ? « No you're not. » the voice sighed in disappointment. “I guess you can't remember me outside your sleep... »
« F... Flowey ? » you thought.
« Asriel. »
« Agh, sorry. » you shoved your head in your shoulders from sudden embarrassment to realize it was just hurting your sore body furthermore.
« It's okay, I would be confused too if I was in your shoes... Which I am currently but... » Asriel laughed at the sudden realization. You couldn't help but smile at how innocent he felt. Oh, this laugh, you could recognize in the middle of a billion of people laughing together ! An urge to cry overwhelmed you. He was really there, you thought. He wasn't gone. « Hey, it's okay, of course I'm here ! Please don't cry, or I might feel like a douche for making you doing so... » You shook your head.
« No it's... You don't know how relieved I am to be able to talk to you again... » you sniffed a little and wiped the tears that were clouding your eyes with your sleeve. « I can hardly believe it's true... »

Your friend stayed silent for the few moments later. You were waiting for a response. Was he already gone ? The sudden thought made your anxiety peak and you started to call him out. Still no response. You could feel yourself slouching out of disappointment slowly winning over you until you heard him again, with a pretty soft, hesitant voice.

« It was... It was a really nice battle. » he said. « back to the shack... » Your soul swoon at this compliment.
« Than- Oh... You saw that ? » you asked him.
« Er... Yes ? I mean, I.... I see and feel everything now... »

The swollen joy that was inhabitating you left suddenly place to a shrinking, tight hold on your soul. You glanced down, gripping your sweater in your hands.

« I experienced your deaths... » he kept going. « How... How could you hold on through this hell ? » his voice was weak, as if he was on the edge of crying. You could even see him in your thoughts, his expression full of pain.
« You... It was for you... » this response shook him, you felt it since you gasped in return. Weird... His conscious made you do so as if it was your own reaction. Still staring at the ground, you raised a hand to grip at your arm but you winced when the pain shot in it. You hissed and looked at yourself. Wait. Something was off.
« What is it ? » Asriel asked, now concerned.

You noticed the rips in your sweater. Good lord, they were new clothes ! You sighed in annoyance before you noticed that your shorts and thighs were also ruined... Then something almost made you fall on your bottom. At first glance, you could have thought your black thighs weren't ripped, until you focused and finally noticed that the holes were showing pitch-black skin. Oh no... It couldn't be real. Anxiety rose up so much you had trouble to breathe. This wasn't happening, no... This couldn't be happening ! It was a nightmare, nobody should witness that !

Keep calm, you told yourself.

Yet you could still feel your beating rate increasing as you stood straight and just stared blankly at the outside, struggling with your own breath to even think rationally. Voices started to slip in your mind and slowly leaving you drowning in otherthinking. Chest was tight and your vision started to shrink. No, no, no... You knew that Papyrus was going to look at you if you couldn't control yourself, and yet, and yet...!

« Breathe in slowly » Your best friend whispered in your ears and you executed as best as you could, shuddering in the process. « Hold. »

You did so and the waiting part was certainly the worse as you wondered what was that going to do. Your heart was pounding heavily in your ears and you could even feel your chest trembling under the strong beats. Still, you held on.

« Good. Now, breathe out. Slooooowly... » you obeyed again and you started to feel the effect right away. Your air way was relaxing just enough for you to breathe slightly better. « Do it again. » After a few times, you felt your heartbeat finally slowed down to an acceptable pace. « There you go, friend. »
« Do you know what is it ? » you asked him once you were calm enough despite anxiety. You could sense him shaking his head.
« I'm afraid I don't... It started a while ago though, I noticed that time in the bathro- » he shut up at this moment and you felt your face flushing a bright red, yet it wasn't your own reaction. The memory of you standing in front of the mirror flashed in front of your eyes. Oh. That's right.
« ... It was you who were flustered, wasn't it ? » you asked him with a smirk printed on your face. He replied with only an embarrassed laugh. « I should have known that thinking “Golly” wasn't from me. You lil' sneaky sneak snuck »

Asriel was about to reply when you heard Papyrus' voice raise a little as he was finishing his business with the seller.

« Goodbye, my lady. »
« Thank you for your purchases, goodbye. » she replied with a strained smile.

You couldn't sense your friend, maybe was he gone back into a corner of your mind since he became so silent. You turned to look at your skeleton companion who was walking towards you then he grabbed a fistful of your arm, which made you yelp in pain without him caring because he just dragged you outside in a heavy silence. Your feet were sliding on the melted snow turned into ice as you tried to keep up with his pace.

« P-Papyrus, you're hurting me... » you told him with a weak voice.

You were grabbing his hand and trying to break free from him but he was so strong, strong enough for his digits dug in your soft skin. When you were far away enough from the shop, you almost fell from the sudden lifted weight as he released your limb. AD who was sitting down next to the door as a good guard dog followed you and stopped next to you, its eyes locked at you with a tilting head.

« Remember that you're my prisoner in front of everyone or they might attack you. Understood ? » Papyrus whispered to you, bending over you to be able to see your eyes since he was so tall in comparison. You nodded silently. The Royal Guard brought a hand between your shoulder blades as an encouragement to walk. « Let's go. »
« Wait... » You turned your head around.

From what you could remember last time you came across the town, the SAVE star was somewhere close to the shop. You noticed it floating not so far so you escaped your caretakers' vigilance to reach it before Papyrus could even protest. Instead, he followed behind with his companion. Snowflakes were peacefully falling down while the surroundings were slowly getting lost in the darkness growing with the incoming night. That SAVE point was like a tiny sun in the middle of this place, twinkling gently as it stood there, a foot from you. With a peaceful state, you raised your hands around it then brought it against your heart, admiring this gift through your half-lidded eyes. It was so calming, so comforting. The light was shining brighter at your touch and you closed your eyes.

✧✦✧

Papyrus was standing next to you, voiceless as he watched the scene. It was the first time he was witnessing such a thing... What could he think at this moment, eyeing you with this surprised, fascinated face ? Hasn't he ever seen something like this in his lifetime ? To be honest, he never did. And seeing your small, soft figure resting against this tiny, shining star, so weak and yet so... Peaceful... Something was dancing inside his ribcage, like a bird wanting to break free. He couldn't understand this sensation, but he knew. He knew this was the most beautiful thing he ever saw in his entire existence. Something new, something pure... Something that wasn't tainted by this corrupted world. How did this creature survive this long, he thought. Did they even survive this long ? They fell down into this forgotten universe like a gift from above and showed mercy, kindness, concern for all he saw. Each time they could have taken the opportunity to hurt or kill, they simply acted otherwise and offered a smile, an embrace, a caress...
This couldn't be possible. Were the books about humans wrong ? Were the stories pure lies ? Were all the humans like you ? Were you only human ? These were the questions he died to ask. Something was coming to life inside his chest, something he thought he would never feel. The need to protect them. The need to keep them away from what would harm them. If he ever said that out loud, his brother would be ashamed of him. The other monsters would laugh at his face.... Undyne... Undyne would vote him out of office... Even worse, King Asgore would execute him for high treason. But he was going to bring the human to him... Was he ? But... They were going to die if he did so... And yet... But yet...

« I have to keep going... »

What ? This soft-spoken voice, yet vacant, shook him out of his inner fight. The human was looking up, blankly looking in the distance, still holding the shining star against their chest.

« I need to keep going... I need to... »

The current state they were in was odd. Papyrus took a step closer.

« Human. What are you do- »
« I'm running... Out of... »

Their irises were glistening in this strange, empty glance when the star's light kept growing stronger, even blinding. They kept saying the same words while their hair started floating although wind didn't rise, which was kind of freaking the spiky skeleton out now. He only realized he rushed to them when he grabbed their shoulder.

« Hey ! » he shouted loud enough for Frisk to cut it out. They were now looking at him, their livid eyes slowly coming back to life as their consciousness emerged again. At this moment, the star bursted into glimmering dust. All seemed to have returned to normal after that incident but only with a worried Frisk now.
« Papyrus... We need... We need to see the King really soon. » they whispered with a shaky, weak voice. They were now taking his big hand between their small, delicate ones. « Please... » This expression of theirs... They were afraid. Here this unwanted feeling emerged again. Papyrus clenched his fist in Frisk's and frowned as he tried to kill that unwanted desire inside of his chest.
« We will, eventually. Tomorrow. It's night time at the moment and I sense you won't be able to walk for too long. Am I wrong ? » he replied with his best scowl and scornful voice. They just nodded and smiled in relief as they weren't phased by it.

« Thank you... »

Dear Lord, why must you make things so difficult !? He wanted to scream, but at this moment, both of them heard a familiar voice coming from their right.

« Yo. » Sans greeted them with a relaxed grin for once. It seemed like he just had a nap by reading his tired expression, which made the tall skeleton exhale sharply through his nasal bone. This guy, he will never change, will he ?
« You're appearing just in time. We were going home and prepare dinner. »

Papyrus smirked before he laid eyes on the human again, who was startled by the dog who like earlier, surprised them by coming between their legs to carry them on its back. Sans saw their health state and this pathetic, tired state left place to an alarmed one. He needed to breathe twice to take it off his face before another emotion enrupted in, a darker one when his red eyes flickered towards his brother.

« Boss. What happened to them ? » he asked with a strange tone. Now, he was mad and all his tense body was proof of his efforts to keep the anger bottled up. « I let them alone with you, and you can't help but hurt them ? That's it ? What did you do ? Go on, I'm listening. » His fists were trembling. Damn it. How could he explain that ? Papyrus quickly scanned their surroundings. There were still one or two monsters around that may be susceptible of hearing the conversation.
« Sans... How about we talk at home ? » he lowly suggested with tight jaws, and Sans immediately laughed humorlessly in response.
« Yeah, sure boss, like we talked yesterday ? Is this what you did with the human ? You “talked” ? I can see that had turned out pretty great. » he commented in a spiteful tone, quickly glancing at the human to emphasize his point. Frisk didn't know how or when could they intervene, their eyes kept frantically going from one to another in worry.
« Actually... » Frisk tried, and both the brothers were looking at them. They seemed so small, slouching out of shame. « I... I was careless and I... I fell in the staircase when I was holding a glass of water... Papyrus didn't have anything to patch me up so he brought me here... Please, don't be mad at him. It was my fault. »

Holy cow that bastard was a good liar. Both of the brothers were mouth agape, one because he wouldn't believe the human was taking his defense, the other because he was wondering how the fuck could they fall in the stairs with a goddamn glass of water. Guess Frisk was clumsy after all, so in the end it was plausible to Sans that it really happened.

« Is that... Is that true, boss ? » Sans asked, now glancing at his brother, still clenching his fists.
« You heard the human. They were careless. » Frisk was nodding at the response silently. « Now, let's hurry and get back home. Tomorrow is going to be a long day. »

Sans couldn't help but still feel suspicious towards his brother. He ended up shrugging it off in the end, seeing that it wouldn't do much anymore. Best was to try and play it cool the best as he could from now on.

« 'lright. »

So when everyone started moving, he walked closer to Frisk between them and his brother so he could, in his way, protect the human with his presence and if needed, with his body. Frisk was staring at him doing so quietly until the shorter skeleton glanced at them and winked with a reassuring smile on his features.

Snow kept falling as peacefully as ever while the little gang walked back to the base.

✧✦✧

That evening, Sans was gone and locked up in his bedroom when you found Papyrus in the kitchen. He was preparing the tools for tonight's dish. Shyly, you stepped onto the doorway and called him. He looked at you. You were in a better shape, thanks to many of the items he bought for you. You were rubbing your own arm in discomfort.

« About... About earlier. Does it still stand ? » you asked him. You really hoped he didn't forget because of the state you both were in earlier this afternoon. He studied you for a while, thoughtful, before he took a step aside and directed his attention over the wooden cutting board.
« Come here. »

You couldn't help but smile widely when you walked next to him ans waited for his instructions. He was hesitating on what should he give you to do, then eventually, he gave you a kitchen knife.

« I let you cut the tomatoes while I'll prepare the meatballs. » he said and you nodded. « Good. And don't even think about trying to stab me, understood ? » You took a look at the tool that was resting in your hand, then at him and nodded. There was no way for you to do such a thing. « Excellent. Now, let's get started. »

For the next minutes, both of you were working on this cooking session. Your sleeves up your elbow level, clean hands, you were focused on your task though you could still feel a relaxed Papyrus next to you. You could even sense his magic humming peacefully so close to you and it made your soul swell with joy and tranquillity. You were putting the pieces of cut tomatoes in an old blender to turn the vegetables into liquid under the slender man's silent watch. You were pretty effective, to say the least. Water was boiling in the cooking pot, and as you wanted to throw pastas in it, none of you realized the other's intention and so his fingertips brushed your knuckles when you both reached for it. You quickly withdrew your hand clutching the box and murmured a quick sorry when you met his surprised gaze and here you triggered his blush again. Nice.
You prefered not to point it out in case it would make him more embarrassed, so you proceeded into putting the raw spaghetti noodles in the water before you grabbed the frying pan nearby so Papyrus could place the meat in, which he did still without saying a word, then you put it down the gas cooker and turned it on. You could feel his insisting eyes on you during the whole process and you wouldn't mind since you were way too sucked in your current activity to pay attention to anything else. After a while, when you were still busy putting some condiment such as salt, sugar and a bit of herbs in your tomato preparation, you heard his voice coming out bluntly.

« Human. What are those marks on your wrists ? »

You froze as your heart fell in the pit of your stomach. That was an unbearable feeling of fear. Slowly, you raised your horrified eyes to his face. He was facing down at you, a frightening scowl printed on his features. His posture, his glance, the twist on his mouth of bitter anger... He was terrifying. You then looked down at your wrists. Pale marks were decorating the soft flesh, some were bigger than others yet each one was proof of something evil that plagued your precious life, still present and cruelly reminding. You went to cover this abused part with the sleeves when he suddenly grabbed your forearm to turn it upwards, showing off these scars to yourself as if you never noticed them.

« Who did this to you ? Tell me. »

His voice. It was so deep as he growled like a beast, even more than ever. You don't recall hearing him ever like that. You were a trembling mess in a matter of seconds and your breathing shallow.

« N... Nobody... » your voice shook.
« Who hurt you ? » his was raising. He was towering you and holding your arm in a steel grip. All your efforts in tugging your arm free were in vain, but you still seeked for a release. « Human. Who. Hurt. You !? » He was now shouting.
« I don't know ! » you shouted in a whimper. « I don't know, please, let me go ! »
« Answer me, human ! » his voice was raspy, so low from all the growling and yelling, which was freaking you out. You kept pulling on your arm while you began hyperventilating with panic.
« It doesn't matter anymore !! T-They're gone now ! Please, Papyrus, stop !! » You cried out and it only made his grasp tighter around your abused wrist.
« I won't let go of you until you say a name, human !! » he bent over you, his enraged eyes plunging in your watering ones.
« GET OFF ME !! »

You didn't realize you were already lying on the tiled floor when you bursted into tears, struggling to breathe as you had a breakdown. You were curling up, tucking your hurting arm against your tightened chest. Papyrus was standing in front of you frozen in place. He was holding his own abused cheekbone. Your other hand was hurting deeply to the bone and in a short moment of lucidity, you came to the quick conclusion that you hit him. Yet... you didn't even remember assaulting him in your panic. The panic attack you currently had left you miserable and at a monster's mercy who had all the reasons to rip you into tiny pieces and make a human pie out of you.
You couldn't remember what made you scar yourself this way, but you knew it was because of the flashing memories that flooded your mind a few weeks ago. You knew they were playing a big part of this matter. You knew it was because of the pain that was eating you up from the inside that you did it. Because you wanted to ease the suffering, you longed for something that would have ended it in a way, or another. But how could you explain that to this monster ? He who used to redirect his pain onto others ? Why would he care so much about whoever in this entire universe made you feel so terrible and worthless ? You couldn't start to comprehend why... Why would he care ? Why so soon ?

Someone rushed to the kitchen. You could recognize who it was by the heavy stepping yet you were too shaken to even think about what was happening around you. Sans was standing on the doorway, shocked, before he slid on his knees to reach for you and grab your small, trembling form. You kept weeping as he loomed over you in a protective gesture when his body shifted slightly looking up to his brother who was still frozen on his spot with an expression of utter shock and hurt.

« What did you do to them !? » Sans snarled, furious.

Papyrus couldn't gather himself in time to respond while his sibling picked you up. Still in shock, he opened his mouth to speak but no sound escaped these jaws. So his brother turned his back on him and said with threat evident in his tone :

« I don't even want you to be around them for the night or you can be sure you won't like what happens next. »

And he returned to his bedroom with you still in his arms, leaving in his path just a heavy, pressuring silence in the house weighing on his younger brother standing still in the middle of the kitchen, his face distorted with remorses that crept up on him.