Turns out Sans was developing a fever. A stress induced one, likely, from everything that's happening. Not deadly. But his parents still brought him medicine and told Papyrus what to do to take care of him. Not like Paps needed instructions, as during the few times Sans was sick during his lifetime, he only ever allowed Papyrus to see him in his moment of weakness.

It wasn't even a severe fever, either. Just a little bit higher than normal. And he could keep food down somewhat. But he was still practically stuck on the bed anyways.

They watched a few movies that day, until the sun set and moonlight flooded the room. Dinner was going to be late tonight. Sans was wrapped in one blanket, another thicker one covering both him and Papyrus. They didn't do anything but cuddle. The contact alone helped remind Sans that he wasn't alone. That he never was.

To think all of this drama could have been avoided if just one of them decided to risk it. Funny, huh. It took literally seeing a murder for their feelings to finally come out.

The boys talked. That's what they did. About everything. The things Sans knew, the things they told Papyrus. How they felt about everything. For once, full honestly encompassed their conversation.

"What do you think they're going to do now?" Papyrus asked.

"Based on my childhood with 'em, they probably won't let us leave the house much. And we'll probably have a certain bedtime so we don't see certain... sights. Like tonight. And they want us to date, so they'll probably try and set us up more. Romantically, I mean."

"And what about us taking over the... the cult?"

Sans leaned his head onto Papyrus' shoulder. "Remember what Tori said about Frisk? About how she's worried what'll happen when the kiddo grows up and how she just wants to protect them forever? I think that is what our parents are doing. I talked to them about it, and they don't want us to kill people. So we don't have to worry about it. What we should worry about is how often they'll allow us to leave the house, if they even let us. I was practically imprisoned in our mansion Underground, they might do the same now."

"Oh."

Papyrus found Sans' hand underneath the blanket and grasped it.

"Are you okay? I know you and Grillby weren't too close, but..." Papyrus said.

"I mean, I... I hate that he's dead, he's someone I knew for awhile, but we weren't too close... that's why he offered the whole sexual thing, since we only exchanged some sentences here and there. It's just the situation where it's like... fuck, someone I interacted with a lot is dead, ya know? It's weird and unsettling. Like I can be next."

"I won't let that happen."

"Neither will I, bro."

What could they do now? The news was out. This wasn't the end. Not like these movies they watched, where the news was revealed in the climax and immediately a fight scene happened. No. Papyrus and Sans had to deal with the aftermath of Papyrus' loss of ignorance. They had no one to fight for them. This was it. They were going to be trapped here forever, wouldn't they?

"At least, if we're practically going to be imprisoned, we can be together," Sans said.

"Yeah."

Finally, did the dreadful dinner come. Sans was a little bit curious to see what approach they were going to do for Papyrus. What they would have done to Sans if he hadn't run away.

The table was set, and as anticipated, their parents had their seats set away from the front doors. In order to make a run for it, they'd have to pass them.

"Oh, good, your fever went away, I was worried it'd become worse," Jandle said, placing a hand on Sans' forehead when she saw him. "I'm sorry, we hadn't meant to make you sick by removing a friend of yours. We'll be more careful next time, so you both don't see."

"Next time?" Papyrus asked.

"Of course. We never did plan for Undyne to get away forever. We're just waiting for the - ah, the right time, per say," Gaster said, placing a carbonated orange water in front of Papyrus. "It might come in a hundred years though, and I'm sure you both will have forgotten about her by then. Don't worry about it."

Papyrus played with his napkin nervously, other hand gripping onto Sans' under the table.

"Papyrus, we wouldn't want to hurt Undyne if she hadn't almost murdered my son," Jandle said, pressing her hands together. "You have no blame to carry at all. She was a selfish person with terrible anger issues and abused her power."

Papyrus kept himself void of any replies. That was Jandle's thing, he had noticed. She was good at twisting your replies about to get you to agree with things you wouldn't usually.

"If someone like her was in power at all, it makes me question the society we live in," Gaster mumbled.

And there was Gaster's strength. Making you build your own doubt with leaving a lingering thought. When you noticed the manipulation, you could somewhat stand up against it.

Sans wasn't alone this time, though. Neither was Papyrus. It became much easier when they had someone. He wasn't brimming with confidence, he still found himself too scared to risk leaving the house, but it was a little easier to resist their words.

"Monsters need love, Sundrop, they always have and always will," Gaster started, voice slow and careful. Almost soothing in his tone. "But the society monsters built fundamentally goes against that notion. So many people are forced to starve and fight from paycheck to paycheck, if they even manage to get a job, while those in power only get richer and richer. And when you figure out the system, it becomes child play to rise into that power."

"When we were young, our parents were killed by these laws. We had two beautiful mothers, who loved us so dearly. And they were forced to starve away because they couldn't manage jobs." Jandle reached over, holding onto Papyrus' nervous hand. He stilled at the contact. "And it hurt to see my precious boys being treated the same, even after monsters have developed technology so much."

They weren't exactly wrong, though. That's what sucked about all of this. Asgore was a shitty guy from what Sans had found out, and monsters were struggling. Even after Toriel took over, it'd take years before any real change could happen. And those changes would likely be refuted by the monsters who benefitted from the system.

"I can understand wanting to not support a system that hurts people, I know, Sans and I struggled so much at the bottom, but..." He glanced between them. "Murder just feels too extreme..."

"We tried peaceful rallies. Asgore met those with resistance. We tried offering better solutions in letters. They were burned." Jandle folded her fingers into a locked grip before she rested her chin upon them. "Yes, I'll admit, we did jump to murder quite quickly for our own love, but when it came to society, we really did try other solutions. Then we realized something. Something crucial. Dears, you see, friends are fleeting. They disappear easily. With nothing to bind you to them, they just take advantage of you. But family? Family is forever. You can't remove the blood that bounds you together."

"So we built our own family. One that stays by drawing the blood of others. If no one will support us, if we have no family, we can make our own. Take in monsters who are alone, scared, and they could join our family." Gaster smiled sweetly, as if he didn't just explain how they lured people into a cult. "Then we had you two. Everyone in our family cares about you both very much. We've been holding them back from meeting you, as to not overwhelm you, but they do love you all. And our family will all dedicate our lives to protecting you two from the world."

"What now, though?" Papyrus said nervously. "I know everything you guys told Sans, he told me everything. So I know I can't fight you guys. But I don't... I don't know what to do next. I can't just turn around and pretend nothing happened."

"No, you can't. And neither can we," Gaster said, "We understand you both have different views than us, and that's okay."

"That... is?" Sans said.

"Yes."

"We wanted you both to move in willingly, to be protected willingly, but it's our fault for raising Sans right off the bat without our ideas on the necessity of murder," Jandle said, "And because of that, you ran away sweetheart, and then both of you suffered since on the streets, barely scraping by. It's our fault as parents. We failed you both. And we acknowledge it will take time for you both to understand fully. But now that we have you both here, safe, we can rest easily now."

Ah. So that was why they were fine with Papyrus and Sans still not being manipulated.

"You ain't gonna let us leave ever now, are you?" Sans asked.

"Of course we will! Just under supervision with one of us." Gaster waved a hand as he spoke. "And it's not like we don't have an eternity to help convince you boys."

They were right. If they were kept safe and sound inside, they would practically be immortal. This was a lost battle the moment Toriel uttered their name inside of that store, wasn't it? Because Gaster and Jandle could keep chipping away at them.

That's why they weren't offended about their different views. Because they'd make them change eventually.

"Don't worry, we don't want you boys to have to see the blood at all," Jandle said, "That's for us to deal with. We're your parents, after all. So you cute boys just stay inside while we deal with the messy stuff, okie dokies?"