UnderCorrupt

1 ~ Welcome Home

Sans ambled down the street wearily, but happy. He held his trademark blue jacket over his shoulder, fingers looped into the hood. His combat boots clomped familiarly against the ground as he walked.

Voices were all around him, the residents of Hotland greeted him, cheered for him, welcomed him. Sans' grin widened. It was good to be home again.

He neared his house, the closest to the Lab, and his grin widened even farther. Two figures were standing in front of the two-floor building, one short, the other tall. The shorter was holding a sign with the words "WELCOME HOME SANS" painted on it in a child's hand with bright paints.

When the small monster spotted Sans, however, the sign was abandoned. He ran forward, shouting and laughing. "Sans!"

Sans knelt down and accepted his little brother's hug. "heya, pap." He laughed, holding Papyrus tightly.

Sans looked up, but did not relinquish his grip on his brother, as the taller monster joined them.

"hi, dad."

Gaster's scarred face split into a warm smile. "Sans. I am glad to see you home safely."

"heh. y'know? so am i." Sans stood, still holding Papyrus, who gave a happy squeak at being carried by his older brother. Sans allowed himself to be led to the house by Gaster.

He sighed as he stepped over the door threshold.

It was good to be home.

The first thing Sans did was excuse himself for a minute, and shortcut to his room. There, just as there always was when he returned, was a pair of freshly-laundered clothes sitting on his bed. A white teeshirt and a pair of gym shorts.

He undid the laces on his combat boots and started pulling off his clothes. Sure, the army fatigues worn by the Pure Army were just about the best you could want when you were on the warfront, what with being the same camouflaging, mottled purple-blue of Waterfall, having a multitude of pockets for carrying just about anything the commander of the Pure Army could ever want to carry in his pockets, and being Corrupt-Magic resistant (not to mention having a cool, purple, stylized Delta Rune on the shoulder, the insignia of the Pure Army), but when he was home, he much preferred his nearly-pajama-like clothes.

After pulling on the casual clothing and slipping on his jacket, he found a clean pair of socks in the top drawer of his dresser, and his fluffy pink slippers under the bed.

After donning his most casual of footwear, Sans slipped out the door, leaving his dirty clothes in a heap on the floor, where they would most likely remain until needed again.

Sans walked down the hallway, returning to the living room, where Papyrus was waiting. (Gaster had moved into the kitchen, preparing dinner.)

Sans flopped onto the couch, and grinned when Papyrus was nearly immediately snuggled lovingly against his side. He wrapped an arm around the small skeleton's shoulders. "so then," he began, smiling down at his brother, "i got your letter a couple days ago. you're already learnin' blue magic?"

Papyrus practically vibrated with excitement. "Yes! I can already turn Dad's Soul Blue! Soon, Sans, I will be able to go with you to Waterfall and help you fight!"

Sans' Soul gave a twinge at the thought of his little brother on the frontlines of the War, but he didn't show it. Instead he said, "but pap, if you leave to go fight in the war, who'll take care of dad, and me too when i come home?"

Papyrus frowned, one hand rising to his jaw. "Hmm. That is true. You would both be hopeless without me. Did you know that yesterday, Dad was working in his lab, and he would have forgotten lunch and dinner if I hadn't reminded him?"