His breath was steady, and his body was limp in his big brother's arms. He was placed on an orphanage's doorstep softly, as to not wake him in his sleep.

Sans watches as his little brother lay there, saddened. He hoped as the years would pass, Papyrus would forget him. As much as he loved his brother, he hoped to never see him again. At least until he's older.

Sans choked, a sorrowful sob threatening to tear it's way out his throat. His voice cracked as he spoke. "G-goodbye Paps..." Blue tears dripped one by one, streaking down the young skeleton's face. "Love you."

He rang the doorbell and ran, mumbling to himself. "Hope you make it big one day..."

Sans hid in a nearby back lane so he was just close enough to see his little brother being picked up.

An old chinchilla monster opens the door and looks around, until finally looking down to see a child. Nearby, a note waved, pinned down partially by the weight of the child. "Hello, my name is Papyrus" it reads. "Please take care of me!"

She frowns in confusion, staring at the note a few seconds before bending down to lift the small skeleton monster in her arms. "It's okay, little one." She scans the area for any sign of parents or siblings and Sans hides. She looks to the skeleton in her arms lovingly. "You're safe in your new home..."

Sans hears the door creak shut and he closes his eyes. The tears start falling freely as he sobs. He slides down the building he was hiding behind and cries into his knees. He knows he should be walking back to Hotland, but...

Sans shakes his head slowly. His mind supplies him with one of the farthest places away from where he is now. "Snowdin town it is, then." He whispers to himself, voice cracking.

He couldn't take care of his brother... so he gave him to someone who could.

=+=×=+=×=+=×=+=×=+=×=+=

"..."

Sans sighs and looks up. Grillby's flame cracks worriedly. "'M fine, Grillbz."

The flame monster that was Grillby sizzled disapprovingly, not wanting to speak in that moment. "..."

"Look, I said I am fine, okay? Can you get me some fries? Just... put it on my tab." Sans said, seemingly upset.

Grillby's flame calms and the monster sighs. "Tell me what's wrong, first."

Sans looks down, staring at the bar table like it was the most interesting thing in the underground. "I left... someone." Was all Sans said to the bartender he usually trusted.

Grillby's flame popped and crackled in surprise. "Someone." He said, more than questioned.

Sans nodded and took a quick glance around the near empty bar to see if anyone were listening in. Deciding it was safe, he spoke to Grillby in a hushed tone. "My brother."

The fire atop Grillby's head burst into a bigger flame for a few seconds before he calmed it. "Sorry!" He apologized, a bit embarrassed. "It's just hard to imagine you of all people having a brother."

Sans couldn't help but widen his grin. "Why is that?"

Grillby's flame grew yellow at the ends as he rubbed the back of his head nervously. "I suppose you never seemed like the brotherly type. Not to mention skeleton monsters are rare, as you probably know."

"Heh, can I get my fries now?"

Grillby nodded.

=+=×=+=×=+=×=+=×=+=×=+=

"Excuse me?" Sans felt someone touch his back and his left shoulder as they approached. "Can you tell me where the nearest restaurant is? I'm afraid I have no idea, I'm new."

Sans blinked, trying to process the contact. He blinked again, not registering that the monster in front of him was a skeleton. "Sure. I was just heading there. Follow me."

Still processing, Sans walked towards the bar, the stranger following close behind. The new skeleton was tall and wore pants with many pockets, a dirty white shirt, a brown vest with even more pockets, a light orange bag (also with pockets) and a dirty red scarf that had many charms and pins attached to it.

Sans stopped outside of Grillby's. "Here."

"So we are... Oh, it was so nice to finally meet another skeleton! Thank you dearly." The stranger patted Sans' shoulder before offering his hand to shake.

Sans was snapped out of his daydreaming as the skeletal hand was presented in front of him. Carefully, he took it and shook the stranger's hand. The stranger beamed and strode into Grillby's with an odd confidence.

It was only then Sans realized his pockets felt a lot lighter.

The sound of bones rattling against the bar stool sounded and Grillby immediately grabbed the ketchup from where it was stored. "So, how have you..." Grillby froze, turning to see not Sans, but a new person he has never seen before. "I'm sorry, I thought you were someone else."

The new person smiled brightly. "I get that a lot. Actually, I don't. I was just making conversation."

Grillby labeled this person as chatty. "So... I've never seen you around, what brings you to Snowdin?"

The stranger laughed, so far loving everything about this bar. "Business, mostly. But wowie, is it nice! There's even another skeleton living here, know him?" The stanger's fingers fiddled on the table.

"Sans? Yeah, I know him." Grillby picked up a glass he could start cleaning.

The stranger froze. "His name is... Sans?"

Grillby nodded the same time the doors were slammed open. The stranger jumped and bones rattled towards the bar.

Sans plopped himself down at the seat beside the taller skeleton. His expression was surprisingly upbeat. "Hey there, pal." He started. "Don't know who you are, or why you're pickpocketing people, but I have to warn you to-" The light in Sans' eyes diminished, leaving empty eye sockets. "S t o p"

The taller of the two gained a dissappointed stare. "You're so much sadder and disappointing than I imagined you'd be."

Sans blinked, eye lights reappearing. "Never heard that one before."

The stranger smiled, near laughter. "Of course not. The only things you ever heard from me was 'don't give up' , 'I believe in you', 'I love you more than life itself', 'you're the greatest', 'it's okay we can try again later', 'we don't need a home as long as we have eachother and yada yada yada, Sans. Great to see you again, by the way."

Sans was frozen to his bar stool, stuck staring at the skeleton in front of him. The long jaw, the lanky appearance, the beady eyes and not to mention his scarf... Sans was surprised he hadn't seen it sooner. "P-paps?"

The taller skeleton sighed. "It's Papyrus, only my friends call me Paps." Grillby was turned away and Papyrus grabbed a few things over the counter, impossibly quiet, and shoved them in his bag. "Now if you'd excuse me." Papyrus stood up, his tall appearance now defined. "I must be going now."

Papyrus walked out the bar, Sans too shocked to say anything.

Grillby turned and his flame crackled in annoyance. Sans jumped out his seat and ran for his younger brother.

"Papyrus!" He called as he chased the taller, and faster, skeleton out the door and into the snowy landscape.

Papyrus stopped with a sigh and glared at Sans, tapping his foot. "What do you want?"

"I... I... uh..." Sans looked at his feet.

"Spit it out or I'm gone."

"I want to catch up. I want to see how you've been." Sans said, still looking at his feet.

Papyrus softened. "I see..." he sighed. "I suppose I can spare some time. Where do you want to talk?"

Sans looked up, hopeful. "We can go... uh... to my house, if you want?"

Papyrus's face turned up into a smile. "I'd like that." His face twisted into a frown. "You know you have a ton of explaining to do."

Sans smiled. "I know, a skele-ton."

"You know I was hoping you would have grown out of that."

"I missed you."

Papyrus was silent.