*Bloom*

Ink stepped out of the portal into Outertale. He smiled when he saw the familiar glitchy skeleton sitting on the edge of a ledge, fiddling with some string and sticks. Ink decided to sneak up on him, and as he snuck behind him he could hear his growing frustration with the strings.

"Hey Error, what are you up to?" Ink said loudly and Error jumped, glitching a bit more than he usually does.

"Ink! God, you scared me." He breathed out as Ink's laughter filled the space around them. "Hey! It's not funny!"

"Oh sure, Error. You definitely didn't jump and look all scared like this." He said with a little jazz hands, imitating his fear still snickering.

"Whatever, I didn't." He grumbles, now embarrassed he got scared.

Ink noticed that Error was working on something, "What are you working on?" He asked craning his neck to see. Error quickly shoved it away in his pocket,

"Nothing." He quickly said. Ink, of course, didn't believe him, and unfortunately for Error, was persistent.

"Then what was the 'nothing' you put in your pocket?" He sat next to Error as he said it.

"It's a nothing, it's supposed to be a nothing. Well, not really, but it's nothing for you." He put the rest of the string away and looked out into the stars, looking like he was trying to find something in the little glowing dots.

"I wonder if we could find the constellations in these stars." Ink said excitedly but softly. Then, in a flurry of hands, he started mapping out his ideas in the air, "We could get a telescope, and then we could—" His burst of excitement was cut off by harsh coughing as tears pricked his eyes.

"You okay?" Error asked looking over at Ink, as Ink's coughs ceased and he wiped the small tears in his eyes away.

"Sorry," He said with a hoarse voice and he cleared his throat, "I got this bad cough a few days ago. I'm not contagious or anything, but it's not going away anytime soon, I guess." He chuckled.

"Okay, don't die on me or anything." Error jokes.

Ink laughs, "I won't, I won't!"

"Promise?"

Ink smiles, looking at Error, "Promise."
•••

A few days later...

Error hasn't seen Ink ever since when he scared him in Outertale(he's still salty about it). He was a bit worried about Ink. He did really cared about him, even though they did battle in the previous year. They both came to a truce earlier this year and they can be a bit closer now.

He opens a portal to Ink's house, it was pretty dang colorful as you can expect. Like every windowsill was painted a different, bright, color. It honestly hurt Error's eyes as he usually just slept in the Anti-void and never had a place to actually stay at, he just didn't think it was all that necessary. He was okay with a cozy pillow and a few blankets on this really big bean bag chair he had. With Undernovela until he fell asleep, of course.

He knocked on the door to be polite, but after he didn't get any answer the second time he knocked, he teleported inside. He doesn't really know if this counts as breaking and entering, but he didn't break anything so it technically isn't.

"Ink?" He called, no answer. He looked around the room. it was the living room "Ink?" Error called. "Are you here?" He looks around the area he was in. It was the living room, that was attached to the kitchen, and there was no Ink.

"Ink?" He called again. He heard a low mumble in response from upstairs, and following it up the stairs and to the bathroom, Ink sitting on the floor of the bathroom next to a bin, his head in his knees and arm like a pretzel.

He picks his head up to look at Error, "Hey Glitchy." His voice sounded hoarse compared to his usual song-sounding voice. He looked really sick.

"Hey Squid. You feeling okay?" Error asks softly, "You don't look so good."

Ink shakes his head, "No, I think I caught something, and I usually don't get sick." He sighed, "Now I'm waiting."

"For...?" Error asked confused.

"You know when you feel sick and you want to throw up and then when you do throw up you feel a lot better?"

"Why?" Error asked.

"Exactly, waiting." Ink repeated, closing his eyes and they both stayed in silence sitting on the bathroom floor. Ink was extremely quiet the whole time, which was very unusual for him since he was very talkative.

"Do you want me to get you anything?" Error asked.

"No, it's fine. Unless you wanna get me a glass of water." Ink said. Error nodded and got up to get the water, leaving Ink to drown in his own pain.

Ink didn't even know outcodes could even get sick, he was probably almost immune to a lot of things in the multiverse at this point. His train of thought got cut off by rough coughing, his throat burned every time he coughed, and his stomach hurt too, but not as bad.

He looked up at the mirror, he did have some cough medicine in the mirror cabinet. He got up and opened it. Unfortunately, he was short and had to get on his toes to try to knock it down from it's shelf. And in this moment is when Error came back.

"Hey Shorty, got you some water." He said grinning as he saw Ink reaching for something high up, but it quickly faded when he saw something under Ink's raised shirt. A small, yellow flower poked out from under the shirt.

"Don't call me short! You know I hate..." He followed Error's eyes to his shirt. "What?" He asked not yet seeing the flower. Error walked over to him and pointed, and then Ink noticed. "What...?" He questions pulling his shirt higher to look closer.

The flowers' stems wrapped around his spine, and then planted themselves into his spine. Error started to worry about Ink, he didn't know what that was... unless...

"Ink we have to go to Sci's. Now."
He said urgently, realizing what this might be, and hoping he was wrong.

"What? What's happening? Error are you okay?" Ink asked. Error just picked Ink up, much to Ink's protest, and opened a portal to Sci's house. "What are you talking about? I probably just have the flu or something like that, put me down!"

"Sci?" Error called out. He looks into the living room to see Sci and his small little version of Papyrus playing Mario Kart.

"Aww, bro you beat me again!" He chuckled.

"Nyeh heh! The great Papyrus is victorious once again! Oh! It's another you! The angry glitchy one!"

Sci looked over at him and saw he looked distressed, as he walked over to him. "Error, what happened?"

"It's Ink. He isn't good."

"I need more than that Error." Sci crossed his arms. Error rolled his eyes and groaned, and grabbing onto Sci's sweater sleeves he dragged him into the room with Ink.

"Oh, hi Sci. How's Papy?" Ink smiled and waved as he saw him.

"Good, we were playing Mario Kart, gosh he's so good at the game. Error says you aren't well."

"Well, I'm pretty sure I just have a cold or something, but he saw this flower and panicked." He then again lifts up the shirt to see the flower. "Of course he's just been overreacting—"

"Have you been to Flowerfell in the last few weeks?" He asks, his eyes wide as well.

Ink thinks for a moment, "Um, I went there to see the timeline about two weeks ago or—oh." He realized what might've been going on. "Oh god." He realized what this could be, his pinpricks became these small white dots.

"Here, we should go to the lab in Hotland," He turns to me. "Error do you want to come with us or you want to wait here?"

"I—um—think I'll just stay here." Error said quietly as Ink teleported with Sci to his lab.
•••

Error waited patiently for them to come back, watching Lil' Papy play Mario Kart solo, and even though he wanted to play when Papy asked him, he had more important things on his mind.

Finally, they did and Error jumped up from his seat, "Hey Error." Ink said solemnly, the shapes in his eyes were blues and greens, he looked like he was crying.

"It's the flowers from Flowerfell... he won't get better, and it won't kill him in the time it takes to kill the Frisk there, so he might have a bit more time."

"Time?" Error didn't want to believe it honestly.

"Ink won't live this," Tears fell from Ink's eyes as Sci said this. "And it's already been two weeks, so I believe he only has a few months depending on how strong he is and how developed this disease is."

Error grabbed onto Sci's sweater threatening him, "Don't tell me he's gonna die, you are the smartest person I know, and you will find a way." Error felt tears about to fall from his eyes as well, until he felt a hand on his arm.

"Glitchy, it's okay. Let's just go home." He says urging Error quietly to let him go. Error looks at him, then huffs letting Sci go. He opens a portal and he and Ink go through, leaving Sci to stand there dumbfounded.
•••

A week later...

The flowers have grown from his spine, up onto his shoulders, and twisted around his arms and hands. The quickness of it panics Error. He stayed with Ink the whole week, Ink wanted him to but Error didn't want to go either.

"Hey Error?" Ink asked. They were on the couch in Ink's living room, Ink leaned into Error. Error hummed in response. "If I'm going to die, then I'm going to live my last days to the fullest."

"And you're not dying." Error said sternly, almost as if he's telling him that's how it's going to be.

"Well... just in case, I made a list!" He pulls a small notepad with a pen attached. "One hundred and ten pages of things to do before I die—just in case I ever needed it." He flips through some, "They're stuff I think of randomly, and I might've already done some, I put down some weird ones, but we're not thinking about those!" He said a rainbow tint on his cheeks.

Error look through them as Ink flipped through them. "Some of these are already weird..." Error said as Ink passed a 'Annoy Blueberry with so many puns he starts crying'?" He looked at Ink sarcastically.

"You were to one who wanted to stay with me Glitchy." Ink said tilting his head up to look at Error. "Plus, I already did that." He scribbled it out with a blue pen.

Error rested his head on the other's head smirking, "You were the one that was all for wanting me to stay."

"Okay, fine. Maybe a little." Ink huffed, crossing his arms.

Error smiled at how cute he seemed in his arms. "Heh, okay. So, what's first in that stupid list?" Error grabbed it out of Ink's hands and Ink tried to grab it back, but alas, he was too short(again).

"Gimme that!" He reached up trying to grab the notebook from him. Error only laughed at his seemingly feeble attempts. Ink jumped a little, but toppled on top of Error, faces inches from each other's. They both looked at each other for a split second then Ink scampered off, clutching his notebook to his chest. His face rainbow with color. Error's face was tinted yellow, and his glitching was more rapid than usual.

They looked at each other for an awkward moment until Ink decided he didn't like the awkward silence, "Let's do stuff within reason." He said chuckling awkwardly. He looked at the next page. "What about this one?" He shuffled closer to Error, showing him what was on the paper.
•••

Half of the list was almost gone, and it's been another 2 weeks. Error has never left Ink's side, but he watched as his friend slowly faded away. They didn't hurt as they didn't go through his bones, they only grew around them. If he was a human it would be much more painful, weaving in and out of the flesh.

From his hand they grew onto his spine and up in his skull. The morning of the third week Error woke up to see Ink's left eye covered with the golden flowers. He was asleep, snoring(and drooling) lightly.

"I-Ink?" Error whispered.

Ink woke up after a few shakes and rubbed his eyes, he mumbled drowsily, "What? Are you okay?" Error quickly sat him up in front of them, their legs both folded under them. Ink was confused in front of him.

"Y-Your eye, can you see out of it?" Error asked. Ink shook his head. Ink woke up in the middle of the night and already knew this had already happened, and it was spreading to his other eye now. "Oh god, y-your eyes."

"I guess I won't be seeing colors much longer." Ink mumbled in a somewhat fearful way.

"They're unique. You know that, right?" Ink looked up at Error when he said that. "But they're gone. Your eyes..."

"Jeeze, Error they're just my eyes."

Error glitched furiously, seemingly angry when Ink said that, "I don't get it."

Ink looked at him curiously, "What do you mean?"

"I-I don't get how you're so...fine with dying. I-It's like you don't even care!" He said, his voice jumping and glitching as he said it.

Ink sighed, "Error, I can't tell you how much I just want it to be over." Error looked at Ink in shock. "I mean, I love living, and seeing all those different AUs, and people, and places... but you don't know how much I hate that I can't even be like them without those stupid vials. Be like a normal monster that actually has a soul and have somewhere to belong." He looked down at his flowered hands. "It's like I'm not even real, it like I'm an empty husk of something I never was."

Error just wished he known sooner that that's what Ink felt, "Hey, look at me," He grabbed Ink's hands and placed them on his chest where his soul illuminated in his ribcage, "This is my soul, right?"

Now Ink was confused, "Is this like bragging you have a soul? Because it's not helping." He glared at him.

Error chuckled, "No, but you don't have one right?" He then places their hands on Ink's chest. There was no reaction to them moving close to it. "I think that's pretty special. I mean, think about it. You're the strongest monster that ever lived."

"What makes you say that?"

"Because no one has made it so far that they don't have a soul and they're still living. What, you think I could do that?" Ink sort of smiled at Error's attempt to encourage him. "You're real, you're yourself. The only thing the vials are doing is making you feel, how you use them is all up to you."

Ink stared at Error for what seemed too long. Error chuckled, confused. When he opened his mouth to say something, Ink leaned into his chest. Error thought something happened, but Ink only muttered, "Thank you." Error looked down at the smaller skele and pulled him closer, wrapping his arms around him. Ink does as well, mumbling another 'thank you' in his chest.
•••

Ink shifted to be leaning on Error's chest. Error gazed over to Ink's small notebook.

Ink picked it up and it opens up to a page that had Error's name on it, but hastily flips to another page. Error grows curious on what was the rest of the page, but doesn't ask.

"Uhhh, before I can't see, let's do the things that I need sight for," Ink stops at a page and shows it to Error. "Hey, let's do this, since you and I both know shy you are on stage!"

'Sing on any stage(preferably a big one)'

"This is your list, I'm not going to sing." Error said, think how bad he would embarrass himself on stage.

"Please?" Ink pleaded. Error looked at Ink, then sighed,

"No."

"I'm dying."

"Still no... maybe, but still no."

Ink rolled his eyes with a sarcastic frown. He jumped off the bed and ran into the bathroom, locking the door behind him, "Dibs on first shower!"

Error chuckled and then realized what Ink said, "Hey—wait! You take a century in the bathroom!" Error yelled.

"I'll be dead by then!" Ink shouted back.
•••

After Ink finally got out of the shower while Error complained from the outside, they set out to find a stage to perform.

"Okay, so if we needed to find a stage, we should go to an AU with Mettaton, and also an AU with a music-y theme..." Ink's word slowly faded into mumbles to himself as he stared at the ground of the Anti-void. It was quiet until he suddenly jumped up. "Dancetale!"

"Ugh, that AU... that's where all the song-fics originate." Error said opening the portal.

"Shut up, let the creators write what they wanna write." Ink glared at him. Error put his hands up in defense, they continued to walk through Dancetale.

Music of many varieties eventually flowed around them in the air. Ink knew some of the songs, humming one of them and tapping on the air to the beat. Error just kept walking, not really caring about the music.

"Let's teleport, makes the whole thing easier." He grabs Ink's hand. For a moment he wondered what it would be like to kiss Ink, fantasizing and daydreaming about it until Ink's voice snapped him out of his trance,

"Error! We're here!" Ink exclaims excited as all hell, pulling him along with him.

*time skipping to the part where they actually get on stage because I'm lazy as fuuuuu*

"I'm not going on stage!" Error growled.

"C'mon! I even picked a song we both know!" Ink whined.

"Ink, you do know that the Undernovela intro doesn't have any lyrics?" Error joked.

"And that's not the only song you know!" Ink smiles, leaving Error wondering what song he picked.

"Next contestant in five!" A dog monster calls.

"Ohh! Error aren't you excited?" He looks over at Error but he doesn't seem to hear him. His pinpricks are gone and glitches and error signs were scattered in the space around him. "Are you nervous?"

"N-no." He lied. Error thought it was silly he was scared and didn't really want to admit it. "What, you think I'm scared of a stage...in front of a lot of people...?"

"Yes I do. And you don't need to be scared," Ink took Error's hand, making him jump at the sudden motion. "I'm right here."

Error relaxes and intertwined his fingers with Ink's. "Man, you are too surprising sometimes." Error chuckled.

What does he mean by that? Ink asked himself.

"Next contestant!"

Error froze to his spot, clutching the microphone in his hand to his chest. Ink squeezed his hand reassuringly and then quickly pulled him onto the stage, where many people were watching.

This isn't TOO bad. Error thought once he got to the stage, One day I'll destroy you all. He smirked at the thought, and then looked over at Ink, smiling and waving at the crowd. He wondered how he could be so confident.

*play the song*

(A/N: Ink is in italics,Error is in Bold)

The song starts playing and he immediately knew what song it was. Ink leaned next to him, bumping Error's shoulder with his own. Error leaned into the overly ecstatic Ink as the songs' lyrics began to play,

If I could begin to be
Half of what you think of me
I could do about anything
I could even learn how to love
When I see the way you act
Wondering when I'm coming back
I could do about anything
I could even learn how to love like you
Love like you
Love like you
Error was surprised at how good Ink sounds singing. Ink was thinking the same, and blushing like a dork.
I always thought I might be bad
Now I'm sure that it's true
'cause I think you're so good
And I'm nothing like you
Look at you go
I just adore you
I wish that I knew
What makes you think I'm so special
As Error said that line, he basically believed it—what did Ink see in him as... anything? He was a glitch, technically a mistake. Ink was too...everything for him, and Error would do anything for him.
If I could begin to do
Something that does right by you
I would do about anything
I would even learn how to love
When I see the way you look
Shaken by how long it took
I could do about anything
I could even learn how to love like you
Love like you
Love like you

As Ink said the last line he saw how close Error was. Before Error could do anything, the crowd cheered, both skeletons faces bright with blushing. Ink didn't stand there for long, grabbing Error's hand and pulling him with him to the front of the stage. He bowed dramatically to the crowd and they clapped loudly. Error did the same(not as dramatically) and they jumped off the stage.

FORGOT TO UPLOAD THIS, PART 2 WILL BE OUT REALLY QUICKLY HEHE!