Work Text:
FIGHT FEVERS WITH FEMURS (PAPYRUS/READER)
101.2 degrees Fahrenheit. Not any lower than it was three hours ago.
You quietly lay back in your bed, reading the unsurprising number from your thermometer. Try as you may, you can’t wave your hands around and make this fever go away. It’s gotten a strong hold over you, and you’ve been left with no choice but to stay in bed for the past day.
It’s not like you could’ve seen this coming; there’s no one in your work place that you can remember having looked sick lately, and there hasn’t even been a rough patch of weather that could set symptoms off; on the contrary, it’s a beautiful, early November afternoon. The sun and orange leaves on the trees are beckoning you to come out for a stroll. If this was any other day, it’d be a no brainer, but you don’t want your fever to make you walk all dizzy. That’d get everyone nearby reaching a fever pitch.
…Well, at least Sans would be proud of that one.
Fortunately, you don’t have to tackle this alone. While you might not be able to leave the confines of your small apartment, there’s someone who’s gladly coming by to help out. Through some convenient timing from meeting at the local gym several months ago, you’ve gotten to personally know Papyrus, the skeleton that’s served as the mascot of monsterkind, ever since their emergence to the surface. With how much you each admire the other’s ways of living, you’ve hit it off really well, and you definitely consider him your closest friend since the worlds came together.
Conveniently enough, you’d heard him say a few days ago about how this Saturday is a rare open day for him, and that he wasn’t sure what he’d do with himself without… well, something to do. It made asking him if he could come over not something you’d feel bad doing, and he immediately said he’d ‘BE THERE SOON TO SEND THAT FEVER PACKING AND RUNNING AWAY.’
From the power in his voice in that call, it seems like he was really bugged that this fever’s bothering you to any extent. You’re honored that someone with as many responsibilities as he has still wants to take his free day to help you feel better. Fortunately, your thoughts of him don’t have to only be thoughts any longer, as you hear a knock from the other side of your apartment’s door.
Welp… this didn’t get thought out very well.
You locked the door last night, not thinking you’d have company today, and getting out of bed doesn’t sound like the greatest idea, either. You’ll have to figure out how to get Papyrus in, one way or another.
“____? ARE YOU OKAY? DO I HAVE TO GO GET A SLEDGEHAMMER AND BREAK THE DOOR DOWN? DOORS ARE REPLACEABLE, BUT LIVES AREN’T, IF FEVERS GET TO THEM.”
“…No, no, Papyrus, you don’t have to go all the way back for that.”
“ARE YOU SURE? I RUN THAT DISTANCE EVERY DAY. IT’D BE NOTHING.”
“All good, it’s just getting up to pry the door open.” You step out of bed, and wonder for a moment if Papyrus had the right idea.
Standing isn’t all that comfortable. You’re not zoned out enough to collapse but laying down sounds a lot more enjoyable right now. Your legs aren’t very happy with you, but you manage to get yourself moving, and tread over to the door. Even though monsters aren’t capable of sickness or injury, you feel inclined to use one elbow to cover your mouth, as you use the opposite hand to open the door.
Papyrus is standing on the other side, posture as confident as ever. There’s a concerned expression over his face, though.
“Hey, Papyrus, thanks a bunch for coming to see me today-” You’re interrupted by the feeling of your feet suddenly being pulled off the floor.
“THIS ISN’T RIGHT!” You’ve shared enough friend hugs from Papyrus in the past for him grabbing you to not be something out of your comfort zone, and the feeling of his arms under your frame is admittedly… nice. It sure isn’t what you thought would be happening five seconds after letting your guest in, though. Carrying you with more caution than a box full of watermelons, he takes you back to your bed and sets you on top of the sheets, leaving you a bit startled. Sadly, that startle wasn’t enough to scare the fever away.
“THAT’S WHY I MADE MY SUGGESTION! AS LONG AS I’M HERE, YOU’RE NOT MAKING ANOTHER STEP, ____. I’VE GOT TWO PERFECTLY HEALTHY LEGS TO DO THINGS HERE. YOU DON’T.”
“W-Well, um…” It’s fairly assertive, but you know it’s in Papyrus’ own loving way.
“…Thanks. You’re right, that didn’t… urgh… make my knees the happiest.” Your focus is a bit dazed, so you hadn’t noticed the purple string bag that’s hanging over his shoulder.
“What’s the bag for?”
“FOR YOU, OF COURSE!”
“You bought me a bag?”
“OH, NO. I BETTER GET STARTED ON THIS RIGHT AWAY!” Your apparent inability to put two and two together startled him a lot. Papyrus pulls the bag off his shoulder, opens it, and starts taking some things out. The first one he grabs looks like a blue bean bag at first, but before you can pay much attention to what it really is, your friend’s already taking action.
“HERE!” He takes the bag and chucks it right above your head. You flinch, but it manages to just miss your noggin, bounce off the back of the bed frame, and land right on top.
“YOUR HEAD NEEDS SOME COOLING. SORRY IF I MORBIDLY TERRIFIED YOU, BUT THAT WASN’T SOMETHING THAT COULD WAIT AT ALL!”
“T-Thanks. It does feel pretty good.” You’re relieved he has a good arm, or else you might both have a fever and be knocked out right now. Letting your muscles decompress after that scare, you continue to take in the soothing feeling of the cooling pad on your head, which somehow managed to stay cool through Papyrus’ entire trip here.
Meanwhile, your tall companion proceeds to take a box of acetaminophen out of the string bag. He also pulls out a water bottle, which you can immediately tell from the handwriting is from Sans, his older brother.
“THIS ISN’T JUST ANY ORDINARY WATER! MY BROTHER TRAVELED ALL THE WAY TO WATERFALL TO BOTTLE THIS FOR YOU. IT SHOULD PROVIDE A PERFECT RIVER FOR THESE PILLS TO TRAVEL DOWN YOUR THROAT ON!”
“He traveled all the way to Waterfall for me?”
“WELL, YES, BUT IT ONLY TOOK A COUPLE MINUTES. YOU KNOW HIM AND HIS ANTICS.”
“Ah, yeah, how could I forget?” You’ve seen Sans prank Papyrus through time and space more than once, always leaving you wondering how he makes it happen. From what you’ve gathered, Sans doesn’t really know, either, but he sure isn’t going to stop anytime soon.
“Well, make sure to let him know I really appreciate it, no matter how little time it took.”
“WILL DO! BEFORE WE GET THE MEDICINE DOWN THAT RIVER, THOUGH, I HAVE TO CHECK HOW WARM YOU ARE FIRST.”
“Oh, it’s okay, I ran a thermometer a bit ago. Still 101.2.”
“WHAT IF IT CHANGED? WHO KNOWS WHAT THAT WALKING OF YOURS COULD’VE DONE?” You’ve got a good feeling that brief walking didn’t do anything to make you worse, but saying no to your fantastic guest right away doesn’t sound like a fun idea.
“Alright, alright, if you insiiiiiist.” Making sure to keep the tone really sarcastic, Papyrus laughs and steps closer to you.
“I’LL HAVE TO TAKE YOUR HAND FOR THIS. WE’VE GOT TO MAKE SURE THAT THERMOMETER’S NOT TRYING TO PULL ANY TRICKS.”
“You think it could be lying? Hopefully it doesn’t have some temperature.”
“…YEP, WE BETTER GET STARTED RIGHT AWAY. AS LONG AS YOU DON’T MIND, OF COURSE!” You make a thumbs up with your right hand, and then reach it out for Papyrus to take it. His grip’s pretty tight, but it’s accompanied by the soft feeling of his glove. You remember it fondly from those hugs he’s given.
“IT DOES FEEL A LITTLE WARM. HUMANS USUALLY HAVE WARM BLOOD, BUT THIS IS… WARMER BLOOD. NOT VERY POETIC, BUT THAT’S THE BEST WAY I CAN DESCRIBE IT.”
“You’re… ick, not wrong. It sure doesn’t feel great.”
“I BETTER CHECK A LITTLE LONGER, AND MAKE SURE IT’S NOT SOME FLUKE. ONLY ACCURATE RESEARCH IN THIS FRIENDSHIP.” Appreciating his thoroughness, you let Papyrus continue to hold your hand. The longer he does, though, the less your temperature causes a temper in your mind.
This is… really, really nice. Being absolutely, totally just friends, you haven’t done anything like hand holding before, so this is the closest to it. Something about the way his fingers are firmly, yet peacefully wrapping around your hand is assuring you everything’s going to be alright.
“NOPE, NOTHING’S CHANGING. THAT SURE IS SOME WARMER BLOOD, ALL RIGHT.”
“…Hmm? Oh, right, the temperature, yeah, I didn’t think it’d be changing.”
“UH OH, DID I GRIP TOO HARD? I’M HERE TO TRY TO MAKE YOUR LIFE BETTER, NOT SQUEEZE THE LIFE OUT OF YOU.”
“Oh, not at all! I lo- liked that a lot.” You correct your near catastrophe soon enough for Papyrus to not notice, as your words give him enough assurance that you’re fine. He lets go, and you can’t help but feel a little reluctant to be doing the same.
“OKAY, MEDICINE TIME! THE SOONER THIS STUFF’S KICKING IN YOUR SYSTEM, THE SOONER YOU CAN GO KICK LEAF PILES AND ANNOY YOUR NEIGHBORS.”
“Pfff, you’re right. I wanna get out there as soon as I can.” You begin to reach for the acetaminophen, which, for a name that fancy, should be enough to get you back into gear. Papyrus stops you from reaching it, though, and by this point, you figure you should’ve seen it coming.
“ALLOW ME! YOU GETTING BETTER IS GOING TO BE A COMPLETELY STREAMLINED PROCESS, COURTESY OF MYSELF. YOU SHOULDN’T HAVE TO DO ANYTHING!”
“It’s only a few feet away, buddy, it’s not a lot of effort.”
“WELL, IN MY EYE SOCKETS, IT SURE IS!” Papyrus really doesn’t seem to like the thought of you straining yourself at all right now. The two of you share an awkward stare for a moment, as you think about how wholesome it is of him to not want you to have to use any effort.
“S-SORRY. I KNOW YOU’RE CAPABLE. I JUST REALLY WANT TO GET YOU ABLE TO GET OUT THERE AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.”
“No, no, it’s fine! Honored that you want to put that much energy towards me. Do whatever you want.” With your reassurance now in his mind, Papyrus returns his attention towards the bottle, and after a bit of a battle with one of those caps that’re nearly impossible to open, he gets the job done. Pouring a couple pills into his hand, he hands them off to you, and then opens the bottle of water, which takes much less strain.
“So, erm… with all due respect, what’s the game plan?” He’s got the water, and you can’t exactly get these pills down dry, especially with the condition you’re in.
“I’LL JUST POUR IT IN YOUR MOUTH WHILE YOU SWALLOW! I’VE SEEN ENOUGH HUMANS DRINK WATER AT EVENTS TO KNOW JUST HOW MUCH THEY TAKE IN.”
“A-alright. I’ll give a thumbs up whenever I need to swallow, okay?”
“SOUNDS GOOD TO ME!” Usually, you wouldn’t trust someone else to pour a liquid down your throat, with the sort of risk that poses. Papyrus is a very smart and calculated person, though, and ever since his fiasco with his electricity puzzle in the Underground, he’s made sure that each and every action of his poses no threat to a human’s well-being. You’re sure this falls under that, too.
Tossing the pills into your mouth, Papyrus reaches forward and pours a mouthful of the water down. You can immediately tell the difference between the Waterfall water and regular bottled water; something about it has a sweet edge, and you can’t help but smile a bit from how soothing the taste is. Your close friend makes sure to not overdo how much of it he pours, either, and when you give the thumbs up, he promptly stops. Swallowing it down, you can already swear you’re feeling a little better, even if it’s just in your head.
“SHOULD I KEEP GOING? YOU WANT SOME FLUIDS RUNNING IN YOUR SYSTEM. IT’S LIKE HOW I WOULDN’T IGNORE MY HOT ROD IF IT NEEDS AN OIL CHANGE. IT’D BE SQUEAKY, LOUD, AND ANNOYING TO ANYONE THAT WALKS BY.”
“Pfff, I’d probably be the same way if this stuff doesn’t work. Let’s get back at it.” He helps feed (drink?) you more of the water, with this huge smile on his face. You can’t help but give one back, which looks like the dorkiest thing, given you swallowing water at the same time. There’s something else about all this you can’t help but really like as well, though.
Papyrus’ hands have only been this close for things like hugs. Him using one to pour down the water, and the other to gently pat your shoulder, is a really warm, intimate feeling. You’re not ashamed to admit you’ve gotten dreamy before about the thought of him giving some gentle cuddles, and while this isn’t the condition you’d imagined yourself being in for them, him being this close to you is really, really nice.
“____? SHOULD I STOP?? ____???”
Uh oh. You’d gotten too caught up in your monologues to realize you’d been forgetting to give Papyrus his thumbs up. Snapping back into focus, you give him one before the water can start flooding out of your mouth. Taking a sigh of relief, he pulls the bottle away, letting you gulp the mouthful down.
“GEEZ, ____, YOU HAD ME WORRIED SICK, AND I’M NOT EVEN THE SICK ONE. WHAT HAPPENED?” You do your best to throw an honest answer together.
“Erm… distracted. The water was too good.”
“I’LL HAVE TO WARN SANS THE NEXT TIME HE GETS IT TO WRITE A WARNING ON THE BOTTLE. KNOWING HIM, HE’LL PROBABLY PUT SOMETHING LIKE ‘STAY AWAKE, YA DING DONG’ ON IT.”
“Sounds about right.” You think you’ve had enough of the water by now, so you gesture away the offer for more. Lying flat on your back doesn’t seem like the best idea after taking all of that in, so you stay scooched up on the pillow.
“So, um… for now, is there anything you’d wanna talk about?”
“YOU GET DIBS ON TOPICS! IF YOUR HEAD’S OKAY WITH COMING UP WITH ONE, THAT IS.”
“Eh, I’m sure it can. Let’s see…” You think about it for a moment, but taking another look at Papyrus’ bright smile, a question springs to mind instantly.
“Oh, yeah, your ambassador work! I’d love to hear more about that new project of yours.”
“AH, YES! AMBASSADOR FRISK AND I HAVE-” He’s about to go all in for the work he’s been up to, but just then, you can hear a ringing coming from your phone on the other side of the bed. Fortunately, you’ve got the strength to reach for it and hold it fine, and you see that Sans is the one calling.
“AH! MY BROTHER DID SAY HE WANTED TO CALL YOU TODAY. DIDN’T LIKE THE THOUGHT OF YOU HAVING A ‘HUMERLESS’ DAY, AS HE PUT IT. YOU HAVE MY PERMISSION TO HANG UP IF YOUR FEVERED HEAD CAN’T TAKE THE JOKES, THOUGH.”
“Oh, I’m sure… *yawn*… it’ll be fine. His way of words could be just what I need right now.”
“I SURE HOPE YOU’RE RIGHT.” You almost run out of time to take the call, but quickly hit the answer button and hold the phone up to your ear.
“Hello?”
“hey, ____, it’s the local doofus.”
“Hey, Sans, kind of you to call.”
“no problemo. humans are warm-blooded, but your blood’s way too warm right now. leave it to papyrus and i to warm you more to make that even worse.” You can’t see his face right now, but you can totally imagine the wink he’s making on the other end.
“Not if the ice bag your brother tossed on my head has anything to say about it.”
“tossed?”
“Yeah, he pulled it out of his bag and threw it on top of my head as soon as he could.”
“that’s him, all right. if you want something to feel better, he’ll have taken care of it five seconds ago.”
“Y-yeah, he sure does…” Papyrus is taking the chance to check his phone for any messages his mascot work’s called for, giving you the chance to easily look over him. He’s looking mighty fine today, as always…
If you weren’t stuck in this bed, you’d absolutely go wrap an arm around his shoulder right now.
“____? is that fever gettin’ ya too ding donged?”
“…Huh? Oh, no, I’m alright, just, uh… admiring the scenery in the room.” It’s the best way you can honestly say how you’re feeling right now, without spitting out that Sans’ brother is making your heart real happy.
“papyrus is part o’ that scenery, ain’t he?”
…Or, he could read through that instantly.
“…W-what makes you say that?” You keep your tone quiet enough, hoping Sans does the same. This doesn’t sound like anything you want Papyrus knowing too soon.
“aw, you don’t hafta get bonetrousled about it. i’ve seen the hugs and that lil’ blush you get around him, and that makes me happy. there’s nothing ya gotta hide.”
He’s right. You definitely get warm in your face whenever you and Papyrus are close. It’s not like you spend most of the day prior looking forward to it, or anything, and… maybe you’ve imagined dealing out a smooch to his cheek before. Maybe.
It’s not something you’ve ever really taken the time to think of how you’d bring it up, though. Besides, being the mascot of monsters, Papyrus must know a lot of people. Surely he has someone else in mind already… although he does spend a big chunk of time with you. So many questions, so few answers.
“you’re passing out again, ____. sounds like a sleepier scenario than my husbone. he’s always crashing ‘til noon, just like me. two peas in a pod.”
Seems like a good chance to change the topic.
“…O-oh, that reminds me, I was gonna ask about that. You and the lucky guy still having a great time together?”
“’course. every day of every year’s gonna be a blast with him around.” Sans and his husband, or, as he calls him, husbone, just married a couple months ago. He’s off at work right now, so providing the older skeleton with some company is probably just as good for him as it is for you.
“Really happy for you, you deserve that kind of love.”
“hey, you do, too. no one should hafta be a sick simpleton alone. fortunately, i think the cure for that’s standing right next to you.” You take another look at Papyrus, who’s still concentrating on his texts. If you’re going to talk about him, you’ll have to figure out some strange code words to hide the topics.
“Well, I don’t know what to do about the… the watermelon. Things feel ripe enough, but I don’t know if it’s the right time to pull it off the vine.” That probably made absolutely no sense.
“i getcha. good choice of fruit, too. once you and him are an item, i’ll send ya a watermelon in the mail as my gift.”
Welp, at least you’re talking to a wordsmith. It sounds like it made complete sense to him.
“Seeded or seedless?”
“eh, that’ll be a surprise. just don’t go blaming me if a seed makes a watermelon grow in your gut.”
“Pfff, I don’t think that’ll happen. You definitely trust me to… to go for the melon, right? I don’t know if someone else has already.” You know how immensely Sans cares for his younger brother. Something like a potential romantic bond is something you’d want his complete thumbs up for first.
“of course. he’s right about all those kind things he says about you, and no one else has gotten that sorta spot with him. the floor’s all yours. if i had to say right now who i’d feel best about being the melon-picker, ____ would be the first thing to come out.”
“Here’s hoping he doesn’t know anyone in the industry with the same name as me. Glad to hear I’ve got you behind me.” You scratch at your face a bit, trying to figure out what to say next.
“A-anyway, I’m stumped on what to do. I wanna pull the watermelon right now, but I don’t wanna mess it up, either.”
“you won’t. my brother can dial into any topic in less than a second. if ya turn the convo that way, i’m sure he’ll intently listen to whatever you tell him. besides… wanna know something that’ll make it easier?”
“Shoot.”
“i’ve seen him text ya a couple times, and between you and me, the watermelon’s cheeks get a little red each time.”
You can feel your heart pumping harder, and hope that it’s not enough for Papyrus to notice. He knows CPR, and while that might not be an experience you’d exactly dislike, you don’t want to terrify him.
“…T-That does help. Thanks, Sans.”
“no problemo. i better leave you two to each other. if he’s checking work texts, he oughta be done around now.” Surely enough, you can see Papyrus setting his phone down as Sans says that. He knows his brother front to back.
“Alright. Thanks for the chat, Sans. Have fun with your husbone later, I’m sure you’ll be closer than a pack of sardines.”
“heheh, thanks, buddy. we sure will. smell ya later.” He hangs up, leaving your attention on Papyrus.
“DID YOU TWO HAVE A NICE TALK? IT SOUNDED LIKE WATERMELONS WERE AN ENGAGING TOPIC.”
“Heh, they sure were. I was talking about a big one I’m thinking of getting from the farmland nearby. No idea how they’re still growing them in November.” You’re not lying; there really is a watermelon patch nearby, and you’re lucky the government hasn’t found out yet. There’d probably be a helicopter patrolling it 24/7, if they did.
“So, um, your recent mascot work. I know it’s mostly just talks right now, but I think I’ve heard you say you and the ambassador are working on ensuring monsters get full workers’ protections?”
“YES, WE ARE! JUST BECAUSE A MONSTER CAN'T GET SICK OR HURT DOESN’T MEAN THEY’RE AN INVINCIBLE BEING. THEY NEED TO EARN BREAD SO THEY CAN BUY BREAD, AND NOT JUST THAT MOLDY BREAD ON THE BACK OF THE SHELF.”
“Of course not. You and the others only deserve the biggest, tastiest bread.”
“MY BROTHER AGREES WITH YOU. I KEEP REMINDING HIM THAT WHOLE WHEAT’S A HEALTHY KIND, BUT HE KEEPS GETTING ITALIAN, INSTEAD. AT LEAST HE’S HAPPY.” He dramatically clears where his throat would be.
“ANYWAYS, I WON’T MAKE YOU LISTEN TO A SIDE-TANGENT ON DOUGH. WE’RE TRYING TO GET THE GOVERNMENTS TO MAKE AND PASS LAWS THAT GUARANTEE ANY MONSTER CAN GET THE SAME PAY AND OPPORTUNITIES AS THEIR HUMAN COWORKERS.” You love seeing how proud he is about all of this.
“THIS GOES FOR EMOTIONAL PROTECTION, TOO. WE MIGHT BE LIKE TANKS PHYSICALLY, BUT EMOTIONALLY, WE CAN BOUNCE AROUND JUST AS MUCH AS A HUMAN.”
“Yeah, you don’t deserve to be treated any less by someone that’s always lived up here. Besides, they could learn a thing or two about the love and compassion you’re all powered by."
“SOME REALLY COULD. I’VE SEEN ENOUGH OF THOSE GROSS RALLIES TO KNOW THERE’S A LOT OF WORK TO BE DONE. DON’T THINK ANY OF THIS FALLS ON YOU, THOUGH! IF I HAD TO CHOOSE A HUMAN TO SHOW HOW INTERACTING WITH A MONSTER IS REAL EASY, YOU’D BE MY FIRST CHOICE.”
“Dawwww, I would?” It’s the first time you’ve made a ‘dawwww’ sound around him, and you really hope it’s not the last.
“OF COURSE! IF THE NEGATIVE HUMANS CAN BE AT LEAST A BIT LIKE YOU, THE MOLECULE THAT MAKES UP THE HUMAN RACE WOULD BE A LOT MORE POSITIVE. AND, UNLIKE AN ACTUAL MOLECULE, IT WOULDN’T EXPLODE FROM BEING THAT WAY!”
“Pfff, it sure wouldn’t. We could all use a bit more positivity around. With you here, though, I’ve got quite the dose already, and I don’t just mean the dose you gave me earlier."
Are… are you flirt joking with him? That wasn’t even your goal.
“HOW KIND OF YOU! ONCE YOU’RE FEELING BETTER, WE SHOULD GO PICK OUT SOME KINDNESS TROPHY. I’M THE MASCOT OF MONSTERS, I FIGURE TROPHY-GIVING FALLS UNDER WHAT I’M QUALIFIED FOR.”
“Oh, I’m sure you… you are…” Oh, boy. You can feel that warmness returning to your cheeks. He’s being so kind to you right now, and you’d love nothing more than to give a little peck to show that to him, and…
“OH, NO! YOUR FACE IS BURNING UP, ____! DID I NOT GIVE YOU ENOUGH MEDICINE EARLIER?”
“Oh, no, you’re fine! You gave me just enough, I dunno what’d make me suddenly look a lot warmer.” You’ll do your best to play dumb.
“STILL, I HAVE TO CHECK. I’M YOUR CARETAKER FOR THE DAY, SO THIS FALLS ON ME, AND IT CAN’T WAIT ANOTHER SECOND. CAN I SEE YOUR HAND AGAIN?”
“Oh, of course.” Of course?? You’re doing a terrible job holding your cover, but he takes your hand without saying anything about it.
“HMMM. IT FEELS THE SAME AS BEFORE. HUMAN BODIES ARE WEIRD.” The feeling of his hand holding yours is… gosh. It’s so warming, and somehow reassuring, like it’s telling you that when you’re with him, nothing can go wrong. There’s no way you see him as only a friend, you’re completely sure of it now. It’s why you can’t help but use your thumb to rub at his hand a bit.
“E-EVERYTHING OKAY, ____? I DIDN’T THINK CHECKING A HUMAN’S WARMTH MEANT THE HUMAN HAS TO TREAT… I MEAN, DO THAT TO THE OTHER PERSON.” He had to hold himself back. It’s almost too much.
“N-no, I’m fine, I just think the coolness of your bones and glove helps me not think about how my head’s feeling.”
“WELL, IF… IF IT HELPS, BY ALL MEANS, KEEP GOING!” Papyrus sits down on the bed and lets you keep going as you want. Now he can’t manage to hold back a bit of pink on his cheeks, as his smile gets more flustered.
“I… I THINK I NEED TO GIVE YOUR TEMPERATURE A BETTER LOOK. IF I DON’T, IT’D BE LIKE BAKING A MUFFIN WITHOUT KNOWING WHAT THE OVEN’S SET TO. YOU COULD BE UNDER OR OVERCOOKED.”
“Great analogy. What’d you have in mind?”
“…MIND IF I TRY YOUR FOREHEAD? I’D FIND OUT RIGHT AWAY IF YOU’RE WARM.”
“O-oh, sure! Anything that you t-think’ll help.” He scooches a little closer, and lays the back of his other hand over your forehead. It makes your cheeks burn even harder, which probably isn’t great for his ‘observation’.
“HRM… YOUR FACE IS EVEN REDDER, BUT THE MEDICINE ALREADY SEEMS LIKE IT’S HELPING A BIT. IF YOU HAD A BURNING FEVER, MY HANDS WOULD BE BURNING HOT RIGHT NOW.”
“That’s g-great! The stuff you got sounds like it was just what I needed.” Despite finding a clear conclusion that your face getting redder doesn’t mean your temperature took a spike, Papyrus keeps his hands where they are.
“Is this still, uh, part of the game plan?”
“YOU DON’T LIKE IT?”
“Oh, no, no, it’s fine! This can g-go as long as you need it to…” You trail off, as Papyrus starts rubbing his hand over your forehead, the same way you’d been working over his other hand with your thumb. Instead of the same blushed up look from earlier, though, Papyrus’ expression grows to be more concerned.
“I REALLY DON’T LIKE SEEING YOU STUCK LIKE THIS. AS NICE AS IT IS TO PAY A VISIT, YOU’RE NOT OUT DOING WHAT YOU ENJOY. THANK GOODNESS SICKNESS DOESN’T WORK FOR US LIKE IT DOES FOR YOU, OR YOU WOULDN’T HAVE ANY COMPANY AT ALL.”
“It’ll be alright, bud. This is just part of what being a human’s like. We get a sick patch, but we take stuff to make it go away, and keep moving along. The world’s still gonna be here when the fever’s gone.” Either from a rush of confidence, or a lack of a filter from the sick feeling, your idea of what to say next is too good to ignore.
“Besides, wanna know what my… *yawn*… my other plans for today would’ve been?”
“OF COURSE.”
“If I was feeling fine, and could choose anything I’d wanna do, I’d…” There’s a moment of hesitation, but you shake it off and keep going.
“…I’d still wanna spend the day with you.” Papyrus stops the movement over your forehead, making you snap back into gear a bit.
You really just admitted that out loud? Aside from the blushing, you’ve never said anything close to admitting strong feels for Papyrus before. Besides, all he’s here to do today is provide a visit, and some medicine. Winding up in a spot like this wasn’t part of what you asked him to be here for.
“YOU… YOU WOULD?” You’re more aware now of the pickle you’ve gotten yourself into, but what you said is still honest, so you don’t pull back.
“…Yeah. Yeah, I… bleh… I would.” A wave of discomfort from the fever swells up, getting your eye contact all out of focus. Papyrus responds by clenching your hand a little harder, which does more than enough to snap you out of it.
“WELL, GUESS WHAT?”
“W, What?”
“I WOULD’VE WANTED THE SAME THING. REMEMBER THAT TIME YOU HEARD MY SHOULDER BONES CLATTERING LAST WEEK?”
“Yeah, you said you got that from some chill in the breeze.”
“AS A MATTER OF FACT, THAT COULDN’T HAVE BEEN MORE WRONG. I HAD TO MAKE MYSELF BE WRONG, BECAUSE I DIDN’T KNOW HOW TO TELL YOU THAT… THAT YOU’RE PRETTY SPECIAL.”
Aaaaaaaah! You didn’t think a fever would mean this talk would happen!
“I… I… I really wish I could show you how happy I am right now, but I don’t think my legs would be all that happy if I moved around much.”
“NO MOVING! MY NEW SPECIAL SOMEONE SHOULDN’T HAVE TO DO ANY MOVING RIGHT NOW. I CAN BRING THE HAPPINESS RIGHT TO YOU.” He’s been stricter about not moving than that dog sentry you’ve heard stories about.
…Well, maybe stricter. That’s a pretty high bar(k) to pass.
“How… how so?” In the best possible way he could answer your question, Papyrus pulls off his boots and kicks them over to the door. Fortunately, none of them go haywire and knock anything over.
“WOULD YOU MIND IF I HOPPED IN? CUDDLES WEREN’T ON ANY OF THE LISTS OF MEDICINES RIGHT NOW, BUT I’M DECLARING THEM TO BE ONE. MIGHT LOSE THE MEDICAL LICENSE I DON’T HAVE FOR DEVIATING FROM PRACTICE, BUT IT’S WORTH IT.”
“Oh, just come over here, you.” Jumping from excitement, Papyrus somehow… floats (???) over to your bed as he walks, and lifts up a sheet. You gladly scoot over a bit to give his tall frame enough room, allowing the two of you to fit perfectly together.
Stars, he’s even cuter this close… you get a wonderful look at his eye sockets, one of which is smaller than the other. No human could ever provide something that wholesome to see, and while that thought has wonderful pun material to it, you decide to save it for when you next see Sans.
“THIS IS COMFORTABLE, RIGHT? I’VE LEARNED ALL ABOUT HUMAN CUSTOMS, WITH THE WORK I DO, BUT I’M SURE NO ONE’S EVER HOPPED INTO THE SAME BED AS YOU WHEN YOU’VE BEEN SICK.”
“Never been cozier in my life, pal.” Even with the fever, it’s true. The two of you sort of just silently stare into each other for a bit, with no idea what to say, but still trading plenty of emotion through your blushes.
“ERM… I’VE NEVER DONE THIS WITH SOMEONE BEFORE. IF YOU’RE TIRED, WE COULD TRY TO… NAP TOGETHER? MY BROTHER’S TAKEN WAY MORE NAPS THAN I HAVE, BUT FOR YOU, I’LL TRY!”
“That could be real nice. I’ve loved all our chat, but… *yawn*… my energy’s been burning up real quick.” You immediately realize the issue with what you said.
“N-not my temperature, burning, though. That’s still the same, but if you really want to check again, I won’t stop you.”
“IT’S ALRIGHT. IF I DID THAT AGAIN, WE’D PROBABLY FORGET ALL ABOUT THE NAP. AN UN-NAP DOESN’T SOUND LIKE WHAT YOU NEED RIGHT NOW, DOES IT?”
“Pfff, it doesn’t. I think there’s something I can give you, though, if you want it.”
“OOOOH! A SURPRISE?”
“Better if it’s not a surprise, actually.” You’ve got a wonderful idea in mind, but it’s best to make sure it wouldn’t infringe any boundaries first.
“Ever gotten a smooch on that chin of yours?”
“N-NO?”
“Want one?”
“ABSOLUTELY!” You can tell there’s not an ounce of doubt in him, so you lean forward and give him a peck on his wonderful, broad chin. The flutters your gut gets completely overpower the fever, at least for the moment. Papyrus was right about this closeness being the best remedy.
“…N-NYEH… I THINK I’M READY FOR THAT NAP NOW.”
“Uh oh. Did I do something wrong?”
“NOT AT ALL. THAT WAS PERFECT. IF I REST NOW, MY SLEEP CAN HOLD ONTO THAT MEMORY FOREVER.” You’re not sure if that’s how memories work, but maybe for a magic skeleton, it does.
“Sounds good to me. C’mere.” You wrap your arms around the bottom of the chestpiece of Papyrus’ battle body, and he does the same thing around your hips. You’re glad this is a fever, and not a cold, or else you’d be feeling terrible about sneezing over his shoulder the whole time.
“Good… wait, it’s way too early to say good night.”
“MY BROTHER SAYS ‘SMELL YOU LATER’ BEFORE HIS NAPS, BUT WE’LL BE SMELLING EACH OTHER PLENTY STILL.”
Gosh. You hadn’t even thought about getting a whiff of his scent yet. He smells like… marinara?
“Well, I’ll have to make something up then. I’ll be seeing that face of yours later, you wonderful mascot, you.”
“DAWWW! YOU’RE TOO MUCH. GOOD NI- GOSH DARN IT, I DID IT AGAIN!” He’s loud enough to shake the bed post.
“Pfff, no worries. Have fun snoozing.” You lay your head over his, and while it might not be nearly as soft as a pillow, it’ll definitely do the job.
You sure didn’t think a fever would involve confessing to the crush you weren’t even completely sure you had. With how wonderful his arms feel right now, though, you couldn’t have asked for all of that to go any better.