(Requested by Wolfbite01)

---

(Blue)

Panting, I ran as far as I could into the woods. Tears ran down my skull as I cried ceaselessly. Choking sobs pushed past my strained panting, making it even harder to breathe as I fled from what was behind me.

"BluEbeRRy!" called a glitched out voice behind me. A cry forced its way out of my throat as I dashed to the side, running in a new direction before being forced to stop and breathe. I ducked into a bush, hiding, trying to recover my breath quietly as my guilt and grief consumed me. Going to put my hands on my face I froze at the dust and blood on my gloves, another cry being ripped from me as I hastily ripped them off. The cry echoed slightly in the empty forest but I didn't care as I collapsed against a tree, sobbing into my scarf as quietly as possible.

Why? Why did he make me do that? WHY?!

"BlUeberrY," said the glitched out voice. I whipped around, trembling as I saw who stood next to me, fresh tears falling down my face as I backed up against the tree behind me.

"E-error, p-please..." I muttered shakily. He reached forward and I screamed.

"BluE, w-wAke uP!" he said forcefully, shaking my shoulder.

"C'mOn, waKe up-up d-dAmMit!"

With a sharp inhale I sat up, panting, staring into the white nothingness of the Anti-Void. Error leaped back in surprise, falling on his butt from his crouching position.

The tears were there, as well as the sore throat from crying and sobbing and screaming. Looking down, my gloves were clean. The knitted blanket I had been sleeping under fell to the floor silently. Stretching my hands carefully, my mind flashed back to their previous state and I shivered, feeling fresh tears come down.

Error stood up next to me, looking down with his what I've found to be a near-permanent sneer. But he didn't seem as upset or angry as he normally was.

Looking up at him, shaking slightly as I hugged myself, I asked him curiously, "Wh-why'd you wake me?"

He glanced away, the sneer faltering slightly, "yOu-yoU wERe b-BeiNg nOi-oiSy," he excused gruffly, not meeting my eye.

"Oh..." I don't know why I felt disappointed in his answer, "I'm...I'm sorry I bothered you, then..." I pulled the blanket over myself and laid on my side, facing away from him.

He grunted, shuffling away from me. I heard a portal open and close and sighed, gripping the blanket tightly. Alone. Again.

Sighing again, I tried to rest my mind and get rid of the thoughts of the nightmare, the memories...

Oh, Papy, I miss you so much...

(Error)

He's just another glitch! Get out of my head! Growling, I punched the ground at my side, glaring sightlessly into the space of OuterTale.

Why did I have to wake him? Every Sans suffers nightmares, why should he be any different?

Because you gave him those nightmares, that's why.

"GraHAhh!" I growled, throwing a rock into empty space over the cliff. Instead of clacking down an abyss, it flew off into an infinity silently. Somehow, it made me even angrier not to hear it falling. Growling, I grabbed a random floating asteroid with my strings and threw it into another space island. The resounding crash made me grin as the rocks splintered into space, some sparking on contact. Delicious destruction: my stress relief. A small, satisfied chuckle was torn from me as I watched the spread of the destruction slow down.

A small voice in my head wondered why I did that, why I broke the island, threw the asteroid and I growled. Get out of my head, Blue!

Sending out my strings I grabbed two asteroids and slammed them together, watching in some satisfaction as they destroyed each other. But it was dimmed now by my mood, which I could not lift with simple destruction. Snarling in animal anger, I used both arms to fling a larger asteroid into a massive island, yelling in release as they collided.

"Someone's cranky..."

Whipping around, throwing my strings out to snake around the intruder's body, I growled and faced the speaker. It was Ink, that damn creator. Growling, I kept him tied as I returned to pointless destruction, smashing rocks together, trying to get that stupid, sweet, soft little voice in my head to SHUT UP!

"Need to talk or are you just going to leave me tied up?"

I ignored him, throwing two asteroids on either side of the battered island I've been beating on.

"Erroooooooorrrr, I'm boooooooorrrreedddd...."

"D-dOn't-t Ca-cAre..."

"Please untie me? Please? Please? Please? Please? Please? Plea-"

"Oh, My -my gOd sHUt-t uP!" Turning angrily towards him I wrapped stings around his jaw. He continued saying mumbled 'please's into the gag and I groaned, dragging a hand over my eye socket in obvious annoyance. Continuing to ignore him, I stared out into space, sitting roughly on the ground to play cat's cradle and annoy Ink. As expected, as soon as I sat down there was a slew of annoyed noises and muffled words coming from him. Oh, this was fun...

Only, it didn't feel as fun as it normally would have... Not even bugging Ink could get me out of my mood, and that normally got me out of all my moods.

With a heavy sigh, I unwound the strings from Ink's body, hearing a surprised noise as he fell to the ground, unexpecting the sudden need for balance. Sitting still, I absently played with my strings while listening to Ink gain his feet and approach me. He stopped behind me, but I didn't turn around.

"Is something wrong, Error?" he asked softly, not using the playful tone he normally had.

"Wh-whAt's iT to-tO yOu," I grumbled, pulling my strings angrily.

He plopped down uninvited next to me. His gaze burned into me but I ignored him some more.

"I'm concerned. I'm your frenemy," he said, slightly more cheerful, but he grew serious, "If something's bothering you, you can talk to me. I'll listen."

"I h-hAve nOthINg to-To tALk About," I said, getting to my feet. He joined me, watching me as I opened a portal to the Anti-Void.

"Well, if you ever need to talk, just call," Ink said.

I almost ignored his words with a scoff, but I saw the outline of Blue laying in the Anti-Void, alone...

Half-turning to Ink, I muttered, "MEEt me-mE bACk-k heRe in a-a dAy. BriNg yoUr," I coughed, "A-aU boOk..."

He made a small surprised noise as I leaped through the portal.

(Blue)

The portal noise drew my attention and I turned to see Error show up again. Though I could've sworn I saw the one he calls Ink behind him as the portal closed. Error glanced at me, catching my eye. We stared at each other, me slightly curious and him emotionless. He turned away abruptly and I felt my soul drop slightly as if it had expected anything different.

I sighed, just bored and fiddling with my scarf. There was nothing to do here and I was alone so often. Left with my thoughts and nothing else.

Something landed behind me and I jumped, yelping slightly as I whipped around. There was nothing to drop here, nothing to do, what on earth could have fallen?!

There was a little box with a note on it. Looking around, seeing nothing, not even Error, I slid the box towards myself and read the scrawly note.

In case you're bored

What, is he a mind reader now? I thought, cautiously putting the note down and staring at the box. Carefully sliding the lid off, I gasped in shock at what I found.

Puzzles!

How'd he know? I picked up the various objects. There were physical puzzles, word puzzles, even an actual picture puzzle. It came in a bag and I had no idea how many pieces it was but it looked like a lot, at least a thousand.

Smiling, finally able to stem my boredom, I picked up a color cube already messed up and ready to solve. I started solving it, my tongue poking out in concentration. It's been ages since I've done a color cube.

A crackly chuckle sounded behind me as I finished solving the color cube and I jumped to my feet, turning to see Error...smiling at me...? The smile vanished almost as soon as we made eye contact and he glanced away.

We stood in silence for a while before I worked up the courage to ask, "How'd you know I like puzzles?"

He glanced at me, unwilling to meet my eye for some reason, half shrugging, "YoUr c-Code is-is A LOt liKe-kE a-A PapYrus-Rus. All PapYRus's eNjOy-joY puZZleS. I-I fIgUreD yOu-You'd liKe tHem..."

Code? What's a code? I shrugged the thought away, taking a step closer to him and holding the color cube out to him with a smile. He looked confusedly at me, his hands in his pockets.

I bent and left it at his feet, "Thank you, Error," and turned back to my pile of puzzles.

There was a slight shuffle where Error stood and I turned around. He was gone.

So was the color cube...

(Error)

Studying Blue from a hammock of strings above him, I watched as he broke open the bag of picture puzzle pieces.

He placed them out all carefully before even starting to connect them. He strategically started putting the edge pieces together, forming a frame to work with before working on the main picture.

Tossing the color cube in my hand, I looked at it then to him. He willingly gave up one of the puzzles I left for him and for what? He'd finish all of them soon enough. Then he'd get bored again. When he turned away from me I had considered leaving the color cube there for him but curiosity overtook me and I picked it up, taking it to think about why he even gave it to me.

Why? I've done nothing for him except give him nightmares. And the first thing I give him to try and be nice he returns something, with a smile to boot! How does this kid operate?

Glancing back down, I was kind of surprised at how little progress he'd made on the puzzle. He either was struggling with the small size of the pieces or was deliberately slowing the process down.

Why are nice people so damn confusing? I almost growled, thinking about Ink trying to be nice and Blue being nice to me even though all I've done is hurt him.

Ugh, why do I care so much!? He's just another stupid glitch...

So why do I find him so fascinating? If he really was just another glitch, why haven't I hung him up in my collection already?

He's the only skeleton I keep out and for what, company? Every time I'm near him we don't speak and I just get flustered. He's nervous around me, why do I keep trying?

What am I even trying to do?

---

Several hours later I stretched, waking up from a nap I hadn't realized I'd taken. Looking down, Blue had finished the large picture puzzle and I smiled sadly.

He stared at it. I couldn't see his face but I could imagine his expression.

It was a picture of his home in Snowdin, with him and his brother standing in front of his highly decorated and lit up house. Colors from the lights jumped out against the white of the snow on the roof. The smiling skeletons in the photo were in front, the taller hugging the smaller.

Sighing, I checked the time and rolled my eyes. My meeting with Ink was soon. Had I really slept that long?

Dropping down the ground silently I tried to open a portal without him noticing but a small voice asked, "Where'd you get this picture?"

Sighing, I answered shortly, "A Fr-friENd..." and left.

(Blue)

The portal closed and I glanced around. He was gone, again.

Looking back at the photo I traced Papy's face, sniffling slightly. This was an old picture but that lazy grin would be forever in my memory. This was the first picture of us after we got the house. We had just finished decorating and painting it, moving in. Alphys took the picture for us.

Papy and Alphys...both gone forever...

Why'd he give this to me? I doubted it would be to torture me. If he wanted to do that, he'd just make me relive the memory of fighting my brother. No, there had to be another reason. This was a nice picture with a nice memory, a gift from Error, a puzzle.

I sighed, wiping the few tears that had leaked from my eye sockets as I laid next to the puzzle, remembering all the good things about Papy and me.

Why does he want me to remember these things?

Why does he care?

(Error)

Pulling my hood over my head I covered my ears as Ink squealed.

"ARE YOU SERIOUS?! I DON'T BELIEVE YOU!"

"BeTTer bEliEve it-it, Ink, cAusE it's T-true..." I looked up, seeing his eyes spin with stars as he grinned at me, bouncing up and down with excitement.

"You want me to rebuild Underswap?!" he asked, bouncing up and down so much I was tempted to tie him down.

"Y-Yes..." I grumbled and he hugged me. He let go when I started to glitch out, shoving him off me and growling.

"Oh, right, sorry, I'm just so excited I could-" before he finished his sentence he bent over and threw up, black ink flowing out of his mouth as I backed up in disgust.

He finished, standing up and wiping his mouth, giving me a sudden suspicious look, "Are you going to destroy it again?"

Sighing, I shook my head. He beamed again, bouncing up and down some more as he pulled out his AU book. Tempting though it might be to rip it from his hands and destroy it, I had already told myself to keep this peaceful and civil.

"So, why do you want me to rebuild Underswap?" Ink asked as his hand whisked across the page, drawing at a speed that made me dizzy.

"I w-WaNt to re-rEtuRn BluE hOMe..." I muttered and Ink froze. He stared at me, his left eye a question mark and his right round and blue. He blinked and they returned to stars.

"Why? You've never returned any of my other creations. I've just had to rebuild their worlds as fast as you break them. So some of them I gave up trying. Why do you want to return Blue?"

"What's it-IT maTTer?" I said sharply, "You-you Get tO hAVe yoUr prE-preCioUs Un-uNderSwaP baCk anD Blue GEts to go-go hOme, n-nOt to-to meNTion yoU get a-a onE-up on Me for tHe f-fiRsT tiMe."

"I'm just curious," Ink shrugged, going back to drawing, "For a guy with an empty chest this shows a lot of heart, Error."

"JuSt do-do iT," I growled, turning away, "C-coMe to-to tHe Anti-Void-oid wHEn Y-You're dONe anD-d we'll seNd-enD Blue h-hOMe."

"Okay, Error, see you soon," Ink said, painting himself a portal out of Outertale just as I opened one to the Anti-Void.

Stepping through it, I found Blue asleep, muttering tiredly but not tossing and turning like he normally was. Seemed like the puzzle did its job and eased off the nightmares for a bit. I tossed a blanket over him and went back to my web hammock.

Swinging slightly, I fiddled with the color cube absently.

Now Blue could be happy...

...So why am I so sad...?

(Blue)

The first thing I noticed when I woke was the blanket on me. The second was a pair of red slippers on black bones in front of my eyes. Looking up, I found Error staring at me, emotionless.

Sitting up, I found Ink standing next to him, shifting on his feet.

"Error?" I asked, sitting up and rubbing my eyes. He said nothing, just glanced at Ink who crouched next to me.

"Heya, Blue, I'm Ink," he introduced, holding out a hand to me. I shook it, nodding.

"Yeah, I figured. Error complains about you a lot," I said, smiling meekly. Ink chuckled, glancing at Error.

"Do I bother you that much?" he asked and Error rolled his eyes, grumbling unintelligently as he nodded.

Ink chuckled, standing up and holding his hand out. He helped me to my feet.

"What are you doing here?" I asked Ink, who smiled brightly.

"I'm taking you home! As part of a truce," he said, mildly triumphant. I stared at Error, who refused to meet my eyes.

"What? But my home..." I couldn't say it, feeling tears start to prick at my eye sockets. Was this some kind of sick joke?

"Was destroyed, I know," Ink shot a glare at Error, who stared at his hands, " But I've rebuilt it and I'm taking you back."

"But-but..." I felt so confused and afraid, "Won't you just destroy it again?" I asked Error, my voice cracking somewhat. The thought made me feel betrayed.

He shooked his head, looking at me for the first time, "No. You-yOu dESerVe to Go h-hoMe."

I didn't believe him, feeling angry, "Are you just using me to get at my world again?! To use me and toy with me like last time?!"

"No, nO-o, I sWeAr-"

"Aren't I just some plaything to you? You called me a puppet! Isn't that what I am? A puppet to use at your will?!"

"No-o, BlUe, I-"

"Why do you care about me?!"

"I doN't kNoW!" Error snapped. He seemed upset and sad, shaking slightly as he stared at the ground. "I dOn't kNOw, o-oKay? YoU juSt-T deSerVe to-to bE haPPy."

He turned away, glitching more than normal, "You're nOt a-a puPpeT to mE, Blue. JusT go-O hoMe..."

His words hit me, making me take a step back. Guilt flooded me for my outburst. After the puzzles and the blanket, I should have known he was trying to be nice. But he was never nice. I should have forgiven him...

Taking a deep breath, I stood next to Ink who opened a portal. Snowdin gleamed on the other side, inviting and familiar. I glanced back at Error, just in time to catch sight of a glinting drop of blue hit the floor.

Running up to him I hugged him as he turned around, looking down at me as he glitched.

"Thank you, Error. I'm sorry for yelling."

He just stood there shocked as I kissed his cheek, cupping his face with a hand as I smiled at him, "I won't forget your kindness, Error."

As I stepped back, I took his hand in my own, "And I forgive you."

With that, I stepped through the portal to go home. It felt welcoming and I smiled as I ran up to Papy, who hugged me tightly.

But as I glanced back, I saw a small portal with glitchy red-yellow eyes watching me. Eyes on a smiling, blushing face.

His mouth moved and I almost heard him say, "Thank you..."

"I love you..."

I smiled back at him, breaking away from Papy as I whispered back, knowing he could hear me.

"You're welcome, Error..."

"And...I love you, too..."