Chapter Text
Papyrus slipped his orange hoodie on and stepped out of his room. He immediately saw his bright eyed, little bro.
“MWHEE HEE HEE! EVEN YOU, LAZY-BONES, COULD NOT REZIST THE CALL OF THE MAGNIFICENT SANS’ BREAKFAST TACOS!” Sans posed as he greeted his brother.
“heh, what can I say? It’s been an hour since I ate and I’m already skin and bone.”
“BROTHER, CEASE YOUR JOKES! IT IS TOO EARLY FOR SUCH BEHAVIOR.” Sans admonished as he walked into the kitchen.
“eh, can we eat yet? We can taco ‘bout my puns later.”
“FOR SHAME! USING DELICIOUS TACOS FOR YOUR PUNS IS UNCALLED FOR.”
Papyrus teleported to his seat in the kitchen. “I need material for my jokes, otherwise…”
“PAPPY.” Sans warned.
“…they would be nothing but bare bones!” Papyrus chuckled as Sans went on a tirade about appropriate behavior and proper use of jokes. Papyrus peeked at his cell phone. Three messages from Red, a Sans living in a world called Underfell.
Red had been texting a lot recently. Apparently, things had taken a turn for the worst at his house. Red’s younger but much stronger brother had been particularly hard on Red the past week. Red and Pappy would comfort each other the best way they knew how, through puns. They weren’t great puns but it was the thought that counted. Pappy had come close to offering Red a place at he and his Sans’ home. But moving between universes would require help, help from a Sans with an unbelievably high L.O.V.E., Error.
Pappy grimaced at the thought of Error. That sick’o had murdered everyone in Underswap, everyone except the two skeleton brothers. Error had tried to force the brothers to fight to the death. Error used blue strings to ensnare Sans’ soul and use him as a puppet. Sans had been able to stop the fight by demanding to be Error’s friend only for Sans to get dragged into the Anti-Void, disappearing with Error. It was sixteen and a half days till Pappy saw Error again.
Pappy had been waiting in the Judgement Hall when blue strings leapt for him. He quickly dodged them only to fall into the Anti-Void. He couldn’t remember how long he floated in the piercing white of that dimension, but with time, Pappy fell asleep. He awoke in Snowdin, right next to the decorated pine tree in the middle of the town. Dazed and confused, Pappy turned to see Sans talking with Error.
They were too far away to hear, Error stepped back, into the Anti-Void as Sans ran into Pappy’s embrace. It took time but they found out Error had placed them in an Undertale universe. The “true” universe according to Error. But this version of Undertale was glitched, there would never be a seventh human to fall and the skeleton brothers never existed. The monsters could never be free. Error had seen it in the code and gave the universe to Sans and Pappy as if a new world would replace their friends.
Pappy did have to hand it to Sans, it appeared Error was much more open to reason since his time with Sans. Pappy frowned upon Error being anywhere near Sans. So Error had made cell phones for he and Sans to communicate without being physically close. Pappy had watched Sans like a hawk for the first month. He was waiting for the other shoe to drop, the moment Error would get bored and destroy everything, but it never came.
About two months after Sans got his phone from Error, Sans gave handed Pappy a new phone and proudly proclaimed he had started an Extra-Universal Friendship Club. The Club included Sans’ and Papyrus’ from different universes. UnderSwap Sans took the nickname Blue or Blueberry while UnderSwap Papyrus took the nickname Pappy or Orange. UnderFell Sans and Papyrus where called Red and Boss. Currently, Blueberry was trying to talk Opposite Tale Sans and Papyrus to join. So far it was a no, it seemed that Papyrus refused to allow himself or Opposite Sans become involved.
Orange had hoped to use the Club to find a way to free all the universes of trapped monsters, or at least Blueberry. Every time Orange interacted with Boss, it seemed Boss was up to something; holding something back. Orange couldn’t bring himself to talk about breaking the barriers to someone that was so secretive. Red on the other hand, was an open book. Once, you open the overly defensive cover there was a scared skeleton that loved mustard and puns. Red, being a Sans, did have knowledge of soul magic and science but Orange felt involving Red would just put Red in danger with his own brother. Boss would probably beat Red half to dust for dropping a plate, let alone keeping secrets about breaking the barrier.
Orange glanced over the messages.
Red: hey I’m stuck guarding Waterfall. Water you up to?
Red: shit. Boss is really pissed. Which is say’n somethin’ seeing as skeleton’s don’t have bladders.
Red: BOS LOST HS MIND. HELP
‘Fuck.’ Orange felt is soul drop. That last text was from six hours ago.
A jolly ring burst from Blueberry’s phone as Orange’s phone vibrated in his hand. They both had gotten a message.
A new message from Red popped onto Orange’s screen. It was a photo. The photo was of Red screaming underwater. A large, red, gloved hand was pressing down on Red’s ribcage, keeping him underwater. The background was white, a bathtub? Orange’s soul twisted, Boss was drowning Red in their bathtub and taking Fucking pictures!
He realized Blueberry had gotten a text too. Orange moved to take the phone away before his little bro could see it but the damage was done. Blueberry had light blue tears in his eyesockets as he stared at his screen. Orange slumped, momentarily defeated.
Blueberry hit a few buttons on his phone.
“Hey, Error,” Blueberry said in an uncommonly quiet voice “I need your help.”
Boss sent the pictures from Red’s phone and tucked the device back into the smaller skeleton’s jacket. Red was passed out on bathroom rug. His bones were on the verge of becoming dust. Boss twitched with irritation, the water from Red’s body had proven too much for the rug, a puddle was forming on the tile.
Boss mentally chided himself ‘Why did I even take him out of the tub? I could have just drained the water and left him there.’ He tapped his foot and leaned against the wall.
He knew he had a little more time to think without disruption. ‘The photo will cause Blue and Orange to reach out to Error. Blue with convince Error to grab Red and take him to their universe. Once there, Orange and Blue will coddle Red. Blue will most likely become friends with Red as he did with Error. Orange my try to take him as a mate, disgusting.’
‘Given time, the brothers will encourage Red and myself to reunite and become more of a family. Once I’ve scrubbed whatever bad habits he’s learned away, I can use him to get to find out what the brothers have learned.’ Papyrus tapped his chin in thought ‘I could possibly use Red to influence Blue and Error. Error being the one who would have more information of escaping this accursed barrier.’
All he could do now was wait.
Written for Moontamble.
It will become ErrorBerry and HoneyMustard smut in future chapters! :D