Chapter Text
Sans couldn’t quite remember when he’d first realized it. When he first understood what it meant, what you had to have in order to be Real.
It had never mattered to him before that moment. He was Real to Papyrus, wasn’t he? So he’d never let it concern him. But then...
“Papyrus? Who are you talking to?”
Sans hunched up his shoulders, fighting not to react as Papyrus glanced up at him in concern. Papyrus squeezed his hand, trying to offer comfort, before he answered the Doctor with a beaming smile.
“I’M TALKING TO SANS, OF COURSE. IT WOULD BE RUDE NOT TO!”
At that, Sans snickered, the tension fading from his small frame. It was always funny to see tiny Papyrus scolding people, especially when none of them ever seemed to realize it.
The Doctor nodded, distractedly, missing Papyrus’s subtle admonishment. He didn’t even notice that Papyrus was seemingly holding onto something that no one else could see. “Right, right. Have fun then.”
The tall skeleton then strode away, hand on his chin, and muttering something under his breath. Papyrus stuck his bright orange tongue out at the monster’s retreating back, before turning to Sans with a grin.
“DON'T WORRY ABOUT HIM, BROTHER! YOU KNOW HOW ABSENTMINDED FATHER IS.”
“yeah, bro,” Sans chuckled, hiding his uneasiness with practiced ease. “i get it. and besides, i’m way too lazy to get worked up over something like this.”
“UGH!” Papyrus stopped his foot on the lab floor, his bright red boots making an obnoxious squeaking noise. “I KNOW! SOMETIMES I SIMPLY CANNOT BELIEVE THAT THE TWO OF US ARE RELATED!”
“heh, me neither,” Sans said, gently patting his little brother on the skull. “you’re so awesome, it’s impossible for anyone to live up to your greatness.”
Papyrus beamed proudly.
“OH, I KNOW,” he said confidently. “BUT YOU NEED NOT FRET, BROTHER. DESPITE YOUR TEN HOUR NAPS AND STRANGE TASTE IN FOOD, YOU COME IN A CLOSE SECOND ON THE SCALE OF GREATNESS.”
Sans blinked. Some unknown emotion washed over him, and he could feel tears suddenly welling up in his eye sockets.
“thanks, bro,” Sans said thickly, scrubbing the tears away with the sleeve of his sweater. “that means a lot to me.”
Papyrus’s face softened. He reached up, his small mittened hands carefully patting away the tear stains.
“I KNOW,” he said, as quiet and gentle as he could ever be. “NOW, DO YOU WANT TO HELP ME FINISH THE NEW PUZZLE FATHER GAVE US?”
“sure,” Sans answered, smiling down at him, streaks of blue magic still faintly visible on his face. “but only if you agree to let me start with the outer edges.”
“BUT THAT IS THE EASY WAY!” Papyrus complained.
“yup. exactly.”
“UGH! FINE!”
Sans followed his brother happily as they went further into the lab, heading towards the waiting area where Papyrus spent most of his time.
As usual, Sans was floating a few inches above the ground, only tethered to reality because Papyrus was holding him. Only here, only existing, because Papyrus wanted him to be.
That used to be terrifying.
The first time Sans had realized what that meant, he’d been so incredibly scared. What if one day, Papyrus didn’t need him anymore? Didn’t want to play with him anymore?
He’d considered putting a bit more effort into things. Fixing the parts of himself that Papyrus so often complained about. But in the end... He didn’t.
Because Papyrus was the one who had created him. Created him to be like this, to be the lazy, overprotective, teasing big brother.
So as long as Papyrus wanted him to stick around, he would. Even if no one else in the Underground even knew that he existed, Sans was content.
His little brother, his creator, was everything he needed.
That’s the way he had been made, after all.