"Goth, where were you? I thought you would be home earl-" Reaper stopped as soon as his son ran to him, harshly grabbing his left arm and rolling up his sleeve. 

Goth studied Reaper's ring intently, his eye-sockets widening. That stranger with the same name as his deceased father... the stranger with a familiar looking description... the stranger with the same ring. 

It couldn't be.

His father was dead.

That's what his dad said.

Geno is dead.

He's dead.

But he isn't dead.

"Dad, what does Geno look like?" Goth asked suddenly, watching Reaper flinch horribly. 

The god stared at his son in quiet sorrow before slowly looking down at his ring and closing his eye-sockets. "Well. He was handsome."

"I know that already." Goth couldn't help but drone since that's usually all Reaper said.

Reaper opened his 'eyes' just a sliver. "He... he had snow-white eyes and matching bones." Goth watched his father quietly hold a hand up to his face before letting it touch his cheek. Reaper was looking at Goth. "And he had a soft, crimson red scarf that was the color of roses."  His father's face slowly became less pale the more he thought about the other and Goth felt his heart race faster.

He had to tell his dad.

He had to.

"Dad."

Reaper closed his eye-sockets again. "And he was kind too. Funny as well."

"Dad."

"He made me smile everyday."

"Dad-"

"And-"

"DAD."

Reaper found tears were running down his face when he snapped out of his trance. "Yes?"

"I saw him."

Silence.

"You what?" Reaper's eye-sockets were wide and his hands shook. "Son- You-"

Goth started miming the stranger's appearance. "He had white bones, a heavy jacket, a red scarf, and some weird glitchy things on his fa-"

Goth couldn't finish that last word because his father had snatched his hands and held them so tightly that he swore they would crack. "WHERE."

Goth jumped. "WHENIREAPEDTHECAT-"

His father's face was deathly close, staring at him with hope. "GOTH. SWEAR TO ME THAT YOU ARE NOT LYING. SWEAR IT."

Goth felt his body going cold from the intensity of the stare. It took him a few moments before he swallowed any nervousness and he nodded. "I swear."

Reaper scanned his face before his eye-sockets went impossibly wide. He immediately let go of his son as tears appeared and cascaded down. He was silent, holding a hand to his face.

Goth couldn't help smiling a little for the tears Reaper cried were not made of sorrow in the slightest.

~~~

As soon as the two reapers descended back into the snowy world, Reaper could feel his soul tugging him away. He looked to Goth, blinking in brief surprise as his son had seemed to change outfits, exchanging his pearly white cloak for more suitable clothing. Reaper quickly did the same, his cloak melting into a fluffy black winter coat and pants. Taking Goth's hand in his, they walked down the street.

~

"What the hell."

Geno stared at the chess board with shock as he found himself pinned down by Sans' pieces. 

His double grinned. "check."

"How the hell-" He glared at the board. "When did your queen get there?"

"dunno. should pay more attention, i guess."

"Attention my bony b-"

The door bell rang.

Heads looked up towards the door. Papyrus blinked and looked to the others. "OH? IS THAT METTATON?"

Geno cringed. "oh god please no-"

Toriel and Frisk exchanged a giggle. Sans looked to his brother, his smile shrinking a fraction. "lock him out."

"DON'T BE SO MEAN, BROTHERS!" Papyrus eyed the other two skeletons. "HE WILL SURELY FREEZE IF WE DO! I'LL GO LET HIM IN!"

Before any more interjections could be made, the tallest was already at the door and turning the door knob. 

The door opened up to reveal two more skeletons.

Papyrus stared at them in confusion. "...UH?"

Geno peeked past Papyrus to see the little kid and a stranger. Well, at least it wasn't Mettaton. "Who's at the door, Papyrus?"

~~~

Reaper's soul nearly leapt right out of his rib cage hearing that voice again. Goth felt his father's hand squeeze around his tightly and he immediately knew he was right.

His dead father was sitting only a few yards away from him.

The tall skeleton which had answered the door looked back, allowing everyone to get a full view of the new comers. "DID WE INVITE THEM?"

Geno had just made his turn in chess and looked up at them.

It only took a few seconds.

Geno stared.

"Reaper?"