A Second Chance (Papyrus X Flowey/Asriel)

A Friendly Sacrifice

For as long as he could remember, which wasn't very far to be honest, Papyrus had tried to be kind. He smiled at strangers, vowed to protect the underground, and above all: always gave a second chance. In his mind, the only way someone could make things right is to trust them, and maybe that was what led him to this situation. One where his bones shook, and his magic quickly drained, just as he'd planned.

His body ached, like his own weight would force him to the ground if he wasn't careful, his vision blurring slightly if he didn't focus. It was a painful experience already, one he wouldn't (and couldnt) do again, but, seeing the monster in front of him, mouth agape in shock, he smiled the best he could. He tried to ignore the taste in his would-be mouth, pain rolling over him in waves as he felt what was left of his soul pulling at him.

"Wh.. what have you done??" The somewhat tall goat monster held himself in his arms, stumbling like a toddler Learning to walk towards him. "Giving you a-" Papyrus started cheerfully, interrupted by a bone-chilling cough. He didn't dare look at his now red speckled glove, instead looking up at the royal in front of him. "A second chance." he stated, almost like he hadn't resurrected someone from the dead just moments ago. The process was planned to the ninth degree, though the grossly metallic taste wasn't written in the diagrams.

His soul pounded quickly in his ribcage, now only half what it once was and working twice as hard because of it. The goat monster was more than speechless, feeling his familiar soft fur in his hands, the form familiar from past resets but not like this. Nothing like this. He was weak and clumsy, the sudden burst in his chest filling his mind with memories, and maybe worse, feelings.
His eyes watered at the same time his smile widened, a mixture of emotions he couldn't comprehend, but seeing Papyrus, coughing liquid red and hunched, he moved quickly to his side. Something in his chest felt right as he moved closer, but his mind ran faster than his wobbling legs. "You don't have to-" another cough, his bones rattling, "-carry me, I can make it." He spoke hopefully as the royal picked him up carefully, stumbling as he took an unsure step, getting used to his new legs quickly.

Papyrus couldn't describe what he felt, part of him was empty, a dark pit of tar that sat in his ribcage and ate at him, and at the same time butterflies, fluttering from his stomach to his head as the blurry shapes in front of him faded into black. The books didn't talk about this part, the numbness as he felt a pair of arms wrap around him. "Cmon Papyrus, please stay with me, please" Asriel pleaded again, holding the brittle skeleton closer as consciousness fought a hard battle. Something about the action, maybe the closeness seemed to help, his soul gaining the last strength it needed to keep him afloat for long enough he could move him. Asriel ran through familiar trees, though unused to the higher perspective, Papyrus stirring just as the end of the forest came to view. The Skeleton Brothers house was just moments away, Asriel feeling an unsure familiarity with the building despite not having been in it often.

Neither had time to worry about being seen, Asriel not even worried about that smiley trashbag intervening, his focus all glued to the blood dripping from Papyrus nose. Or, lack thereof, he thought, reaching the end of the dense forest.

With a quick glance at the cold town, he could tell monsters were already sleeping, some turning on blinking giftmas lights and others already tucked away from the cold wonderland. Without time to waste, he opened the door (quite difficultly, with the skeleton in his still weak arms) and gently placed him on the green sofa, wincing at the sickly sight of him. His adrenaline still ran as he thought, making his way to the kitchen where, after some digging, he found leftover spaghetti in the fridge, kneeling beside the weak monster and holding small bites on a fork to his teeth. He couldn't process what was happening, he hardly processed what he himself was, but he knew real monsters needed food to heal, something in his chest telling him he needed to do this. His.. soul. Or, half soul, to be exact.

Papyrus squinted at the dim figure that kneeled beside him, hardly making out where he was before taking a small bite of what was in front of him. It wasn't the best, a little cold against his teeth, but feeling his magic finally return was all he wanted at that moment, taking bite after bite with regaining ease.
Asriel sighed as the last of the container was emptied, sitting on the ground with his back against the couch. He looked down at his hands, wet with snow and red, familiar and new at the same time, he couldnt help feel.. real. Something different than before, something that made his soul pound. And he smiled, he almost laughed.

Something new.

Papyrus joined soon after, confused at the joy he was suddenly feeling so much of.

924 words
(Welcome to chapter two! I'm hoping to keep these chapters all close to 1000 words each, so please excuse them if they take longer. Oh, Papyrus, you poor hopeless romantic.)