(Hours later, bedtime)

"Sans? Are you still in here?" Papyrus entered the library, rubbing his eyes tiredly as he looked around. He caught the smaller figure nestled into the crook of one of the armchairs in the room, reading to himself.

Sans looked up, startled to see Papyrus. "O-Oh, is it late already? I-I'm sorry, I should get this cleaned up." He stammered, eyelights flashing to the stack of books at the feet of his armchair.

"What are you reading?" Papyrus asked, walking over to Sans's side to get a good look. If he could look more flustered than before, he did now. "Oh, it's nothing. Just something I used to read my brother to sleep."

"You had a brother?" Papyrus questioned, looking down at the book in his lap. "The Adventures of Fluffy Bunny" Huh. Sounded familiar for some reason.

"..Yeah.. We were separated when we were young.." Sans replied in a quiet voice, looking down at the book. Papyrus swallowed. Sans looked so forlorn that he just wanted to give him a hug and console him. But he didn't. Instead, he sat on the arm of the chair, ignoring the way Sans flinched in surprise. 

"I was separated from my brother when I was young too." Papyrus said just as quietly, toying with the college ring he was wearing. "We were very close. I don't even remember his name anymore, but we used to do everything together. Picking flowers, drawing pictures, playing with toys. He even read bedtime stories to me too. But one day, he just disappeared. I was told that he had died."

Sans looked up at him, watching how his pink eyelights welled up in sad reminiscence. He smiled internally to himself. So Papyrus did remember him. He was glad of that.

Sans placed a skeletal hand on Papyrus's, breaking him out of his memories. "Would you like me to read you a bedtime story?" He questioned lightly, expression sympathetic and caring. Papyrus felt his soul pound at the compassion that this concubine was showing. It was so unlike any other that he had met.

"I'd like that." He smiled down at the smaller skeleton, taking his hand and together, they walked back to Papyrus's room, book in hand.

Just like old times.