Duska

The smell of spaghetti wakes me from my dreamless sleep and it comes along with the banging of pots and pans. My eyes slowly open to show a TV show about some pink robot talking about the news. My stomach grumbles quietly, making me think about how long that i've been unconscious for.

"SANS! WHERE DID THE GLITTER GO?"

"glitter isn't edible paps. the kid wouldn't be able to eat it."

"BUT THE SPAGHETTI NEEDS TEXTURE!"

I can't help but giggle at their silly argument which sadly stops as the two must have heard me as they run into the room to see me awake on the couch. Papyrus quickly gives me a hug, a small 'Nyeh heh heh' coming from him.

"nice to see you awake. you feeling alright?"

"Almost brand new. But I am a little hungry..."

Papyrus jumps off of me and I see his bright face before he runs off into what I suspect being the kitchen. I go to sit up but a sharp pain pulses throughout my lower back, making me almost scream but I hold it in and let out a sharp wince instead. Sans quickly puts his arms behind my back and helps me lean against the couch into a comfortable sitting position.

"you gotta be careful kid... undyne took a lot out of ya..."

"It's not her fault. She was just trying to protect you all."

"i told her that you were kind. paps told her... she didn't believe either of us..."

His voice had an obvious tone of anger within it, one that I chose to push aside for the moment. I smile and pat the cushion beside me for Sans to sit on, he quickly accepts the offer. Now comfortable I decide to use this time to check on my shoulder, I did say that I feel 'brand new' but a slight pain rings throughout my left arm. I carefully slide the arm out of the sleeve and let the bandages unwravel by their magic.

"we couldn't remove it ourselves, i guess your magic wanted to heal you."

"My magic's always been protective of me. It's... a thing that i've developed..."

He looks at me as if he wants to ask a question but he drops it, I wouldn't have answered his questions anyway. It fully reveals my arm and it seems to have done the job, only a pink mark of stretched skin remains but it should heal completely before long. After a while Papyrus walks out with spaghetti and we all eat, it's the best food that i've had in... years.

"SO HU- DUSKA? DID YOU LIKE IT?"

"Mmmhmm! It was delicious! Best thing i've had in years!"

He smiles and pulls me into another hug, his tackling hug cracks my back and he squeals in surprise to the noise. He pulls back and looks at me worried, the bone cracking actually helped.

"DUSKA! ARE YOU ALRIGHT!?! DID I HURT YOU!?! I'M SO SORRY!"

"I'm fine, i'm fine. You only stretched the joint capsule, making special gases release themselves."

Both the skeleton's look at me in surprise. It takes me a few seconds to realise what I had said and I quickly shy my head away from them.

"Sorry... I've always been like that... spurting out some stupid science randomly..."

"what!?! it's not stupid. it's actually pretty cool, like what your dad did."

"IT MEANS THAT YOU CAN TEACH OTHERS NEW THINGS! LIKE ALPHYS!"

"except what you just said actually made sense."

"WAIT... IT DID?"

I giggle and grab Papyrus' arm, bending it out and pointing to his elbow. I'm a little surprised at their reaction but i'm happy that they accept it.

"This is a joint and when you move it-"

I bend his arm upwards and he stares at it intently, as if a bird was watching something shiny move.

"-the oxygen, carbon dioxide and other gases in the air race in between your bones. Humans get more gases between them because of what their body gives them but I can still explain it to you like this."

I bend his arm back outwards and he looks a little confused, makes sense since I haven't explained the important part yet.

"Now since you closed it all those gases rush from between your bones. When humans do this it makes a cracking noise, signalling that a large amount of those gases has rushed from between the bones into the fluid surrounding the bones. If there's enough built up in there it makes a cracking noise, it's actually comepletely harmless."

"WOWIE! THAT'S COOL!"

"that is pretty cool to know. we have human friends livin' with the king and queen, we can teach them about it at one point."

I smile and let go of Papyrus' arm, he begins examining it as I let out a long yawn. I guess talking about science has tired me out.

"heh, tired kid?"

"Yeah... Just a bit..."

I yawn and rub my eyes with my right hand, my left arm hurts too much to be able to lift itself up. Sans shakes his head and grabs my hand while jumping off the couch.

"you can sleep in my room. the couch isn't comfortable enough for your back, my mattress is a lot better."

"The couch will be fine! Sleeping just comes so naturally to me that I could do it with my eyes closed."

I giggle at my own joke while the two brothers stare at me in disbelief. Sans suddenly bursts out laughing while Papyrus buries his face into his gloved hands.

"Come on Pap! It wasn't that bad!"

"YOUR JUST LIKE SANS! ARGH!"

I giggle again as I watch Sans almost die from laughter on the ground. Papyrus angrily stomps upstairs and the slam of the door echoes throughout the house. Sans finishes his laughing fit and looks up at you with his usual smile.

"you ready for bed kiddo?"

"Sure."

I go to sit up but a pain spikes throughout my lower back again. I wince in pain and fall back onto the couch, i'm already sweating. A blue aura surrounds me and i'm slowly lifted off the couch, floating in midair. Sans is holding his hand out towards me with his left eye glowing blue while his right is a black void.

"is this helping?"

"It is. Thank you Sans."

He walks as I float up the stairs, it's actually rather fun to be floating around. Two rooms sit opposite sides to a framed picture of a bone, I have the thought that Papyrus had decided to put that up. Sans opens the door manually and gently sets me onto the mattress. His room is almost bare besides a running treadmill and a tornado of trash, a sock is visible in the mess within it. Sans turns the treadmill off and walks over to me, placing his hands onto my back.

"okay... you ready?"

"Yeah... yeah..."

As I move my back downwards the pain is lesser with Sans' hands bracing it but it still ripples with pain throughout my lower back and legs. After what seems to be an hour I finally lay down straight with Sans looking down on me with a worried expression. Sweat is pouring from my forehead but i'm relieved that i'm laying down somewhere comfortable.

"i-i'm sorry..."

"It's... fine Sans... i'm fine..."

My breathing is heavy and I close my eyes to try and help regulate it. I hear Sans sigh as the sheets at the end of the bed shuffle loudly before being layed over me. I open my eyes to see Sans by the door looking at me sadly, I hate that look.

"Sans..."

"yeah dus?"

I breathe in another lungfull of air before saying anything else.

"Can you stay in here tonight? Please?"

He looks surprised at my request but he closes the door and walks towards me.

"ya sure kid? i could sleep on the couch ya know."

"It's just that... I don't want to be alone..."

I hate being alone, i've been alone for too long and have gained a fear of it. He sighs sadly but with a large smile, I carefully scooch over as he lays down on the mattress beside me. 

"hey dus?"

"Yeah Sans?"

"you better fall asleep quickly..."

"Huh? Why?"

I realise too late that i've set him up. I quietly laugh as he says the punch line.

"-or i'll put you under a-rest!"

We both laugh quietly at the pun, I yawn a few seconds in which makes Sans stop and turn to look at me.

"nite kiddo."

"N-Nite Sans..."

Finally... even with a sore back i'll finally be able to get a good night sleep.