HOTSHOTS

𝐔𝐍𝐃𝐄𝐑𝐓𝐀𝐋𝐄››𝐅𝐋𝐎𝐖𝐄𝐘 & 𝐏𝐀𝐏𝐘𝐑𝐔𝐒

Vindicate
(verb.) clear someone of blame or suspicion.

THE monster kind was free; the barrier was broken and they were able to go on the surface, to see the sun they always read about, to wish upon actual stars, to make themselves known to the human kind. To have the barrier broken was like a dream come true. Many monsters had already left to the surface, or perhaps they've decided to stay like a certain golden flower. He had to stay, he couldn't leave, he didn't deserve to go and be free, he's done so many things, so many wrong and horrid things. As it turns out, he did have feelings, they were just locked, they had to be open with a specific key, they were inaccessible until further notice. Flowey The Flower deserved to stay in the Underground, far away from anyone, far away from everyone. He couldn't go to others and justㅡbeg for their forgiveness or anything, he couldn't just waltz in and pretend everything was fine because, well, it wasn't fine and it'll never be fine. From not being able to keep Chara's promise to returning as a soulless flower just harming people, simple due to benefit of enjoyment. He sickly remembers the times he'd hurt people and he liked it. Just thinking that made him sick to his stems.

"FLOWEY?"

No. Not him, anyone but him. Flowey couldn't stand this skeleton, always being kind no matter what, no matter the circumstance, no matter the issue. He always stayed kind, he always stayed compassionate, benevolent, even if he got treated wrong in so many different ways.

"I WAS LOOKING ALL OVER FOR YOU! DO YOU...PLAN TO STAY?"

Why did that skeleton sound so disappointed? As if he'll miss him if he stayed down here? As if, two best friends were going to depart? Why did he ask him that in such upset tone? God, Flowey couldn't even look at him, he couldn't even talk to the guy, he can't interact with him. Not ever, ever again. He heard footsteps of the skeleton walking a bit closer to him, then the skeleton just sat down on the ground, next to him. Flowey glanced at the person, he was wearing human clothing, not his battle body but he still was wearing his signature scarf, the one that Flowey had ripped to shreds so many times before.

"I CAN TELL THAT SOMETHING IS WRONG. YOU CAN ALWAYS TALK TO ME ABOUT IT. FOR YOU HAVE..." The skeleton was trying to piece his words together. "HELPED ME, SO MANY TIMES BEFORE." Sure, the flower did help the skeleton, giving him praise and confirmation, giving him the courage to ask Undyne to be apart of the royal guard, telling him that he was right and they were in the wrong, reassuring him of his ultimate worries.

"I've hurt you, so many times before and you don't recall any of it, do you?" It was a rhetorical question, he knew the answer to that. "I've betrayed you, and yet you just forgive and forget. I've broke your body apart, I've made you beg for mercy. I've killed you, so answer me this. Why, why are you here? Why are you here with me, Papyrus?" Papyrus hummed in thought, trying to answer the question that was thrown at him, it took a minute for him to think about his answer, a moment of silence that would've been pleasant if it weren't for the thick atmosphere that could be beheaded with a knife or be tightly squeezed with vines until it's bones dusted.

"YOU'RE MY FRIEND." It was as simple as that, those three words that made a sadistic flower sob. Once Papyrus heard Flowey crying, he hugged him, his arms were wrapped around the small stem that kept the flower to the ground.

Flowey couldn't understand how someone could be so forgiving, he couldn't understand how someone could be the embodiment of a kindhearted being. He couldn't understand that, despite being abused, mercy was still shown.

"No, I'm not your friend, and you aren't my friend either. I can't go up there, no matter how much I want too. Nobody and I repeat, nobody will want me up there."

"I DO. I WANT YOU TO BE ON THE SURFACE WITH US. YOU'RE A CHANGED PERSON, YOU'RE NOT THE SAME. PEOPLE CAN AND WILL SHOW KINDNESS TO THOSE WHO'LL TREAT THEM THE SAME WAY. YOU'LL BE GREAT UP THERE! BUT NOT AS...GREAT AS I'M ALREADY AM, NYEH!"

Like Papyrus said, he is a changed person, he knows what he did was wrong, he knows that he was a menace to so many people but he shouldn't just stay here, he should...He should try his best to make the world a better place, he should try his best to become a better person, he should try his best to do..better.

Flowey The Flower needed time and The Great Papyrus was perfectly okay with that.